


Ikeaverse

by newnumbertwo



Series: Ikeaverse [1]
Category: Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-02
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 22:54:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 47,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newnumbertwo/pseuds/newnumbertwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Laura tells Bill about her standard school day before they get up Monday morning.</p>
          </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Title:  Normaling  
Rating:  T  
Pairing:  A/R  
Disclaimer:  I don't own them; they own me.  Credit belongs to [](http://defyingnormalcy.livejournal.com/profile)[**defyingnormalcy**](http://defyingnormalcy.livejournal.com/) for the first line and any similar theme.  My apologies to Tina Fey for borrowing some of Liz Lemon's experiences for this piece.

A/N:  This is the first installment of Ikeaverse.  I left a lot of room for additional stories or drabbles.  My idea was to be able to do as much or as little with it as I choose down the road. ETA: After a year of writing in this 'verse, I think it's safe to say I'll keep it going for awhile.

  


Laura Roslin never thought she’d fall in love with a man who’d bring a U-Haul on their first date.  Bill Adama proved her wrong.  Of course, he had a perfectly logical explanation for bringing the U-Haul:  He had just moved into his apartment that afternoon and didn’t have time to return the van without being late for their date.  Ordinarily that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was a blind date set up by mutual friends, and Bill didn’t know Laura’s number to contact her.  So, rather than risk offending her by being late, Bill pulled up to Laura’s driveway in a U-Haul.  This proved to be quite an icebreaker.

“Moving in already?  We haven’t even met yet.”

“It’s a long story.  Not that I wouldn’t like living here; you have a lovely home, but I don’t usually move so fast.”

“Good to know.  I’m Laura,” she said, offering her hand for him to shake, which he did, gladly.

“Bill.  It’s nice to meet you.  Now I’m ready to move in,” he said with a teasing grin.

“Funny,” Laura said, trying but failing to look unamused.  “So, what’s your story?”

“It’s not as interesting as me making too grand a gesture.  I just moved into my apartment this afternoon.  I didn’t have time to return the van without being late for our date, and I didn’t know how to contact you.”

“So, you were concerned about my feelings?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Hmm. Indeed.  You must be hungry after moving all day.  My stomach is growling just thinking about it.”

“I could eat.”

“Of course you could,” Laura said, flashing her brightest smile.  “Come on, let’s go into the dining room.  Dinner’ll be ready any minute.”

“Great.  I have to say, I’m surprised you’d agree to have a blind date in your home.”

“Don’t worry, if you weren’t to my liking I would have thrown you out already.  I may still do so.”

“You prefer the home-field advantage, then?”

“Always.”

“Good to know.”

Laura led Bill into the dining room, offering him a seat and a drink, but Bill refused either without offering assistance.  At first, she was put off by what she perceived as pushiness, but then she realized her guest was a gentleman, something with which she was unused to dealing.  So, she acquiesced, allowing him to pour their wine, while she took their dinner out of the oven and prepared their dishes. 

The eggplant parmesan was delicious, the salad made from the freshest vegetables the market had to offer, and the wine was from a particularly good year.  None of that seemed to matter, though.  Between their conversation and their intense soul-gazing, it’s amazing they managed to eat at all.

So, it should come as no surprise that Laura broke another one of her rules that night.  She never thought she’d sleep with a man during a first date.  After spending extended time with Bill Adama, nearly drowning in his blue eyes, that rule went out the window.  By the end of dinner, she had decided she never wanted him out of her sight.  So, naturally, she had to invite him into her bed--after an interlude in the kitchen first, of course.

From that night on, the school teacher and the retired Navy commander were inseparable.  Bill helped Laura deal with the heartbreak of losing her father and sisters not long after her mother’s passing.  Although, he selfishly wondered if she would have even agreed to a blind date if not for their deaths and her friend’s prodding.  He too was skeptical about the date, only agreeing to it to shut up his best friend Saul’s annoying wife, Ellen.  Ellen was a friend of a friend of Marcia, who was Laura’s friend.  Laura had never actually met Ellen, and Bill knew there’d be hell to pay if they were to meet.  As much as he hated to admit it, Bill would be eternally grateful to Ellen for her role in bringing Laura into his life.

Whereas Bill helped Laura through her grief, Laura helped Bill transition from military to civilian life.  Together, they discovered Bill had a strong passion for history and liked working with kids:  He had become a fixture in Laura’s twelfth grade English classroom.  She was the supervisor of the English department for K-12, so she only taught AP English to seniors.  Anyway, Bill became her unofficial teaching assistant, which helped him decide to go back to school for a teaching degree.  However, the ever resourceful, Laura had other ideas for Bill.

_“What about ROTC?”_

_“What about it?”_

_“You could teach it.”_

_“First, the school would have to have it.”_

_“I’m working on it.”_

_“So, I’m going to be the freeloading boyfriend who gets a job by riding his girlfriend’s coattails?”_

_“Of course not.  The school needs this program.  If you don’t want to run it, fine.  There are plenty of interested officers and NCO’s who’d be interested.”_

_“What did you have in mind?”_

_“I’ll talk to Richard and get started writing a grant.”_

_“Dick’ll just love that.”_

_“Don’t worry about him.”_

_“I’m not.  Do you really think I’m qualified, Laura?”_

_“Honey, you commanded an entire aircraft carrier with hundreds of officers and NCO’s.  I’m sure you can handle a group of high schoolers.”_

_“Not as well as you.”_

_“Hmm.  I wish I spent more time in the classroom sometimes.”_

_“What you do is very important.  You can’t be everywhere.  Maybe we should consider cloning you.”_

_“Perish the thought.  Could you imagine trying to deal with two or more of me?”_

_“Yes, please.”_

_“What about when I’m being unreasonable or just bitchy?”_

_“Then I’ll love you even more to compensate.”_

_“I bet you will, too.”_

_“Always.”_

_“I love you.”_

_“I know.”_

_“So, you’ll consider teaching ROTC if I can get the grant together?”_

_“Of course.”_

_“And you’ll be nice to Richard?”_

_“Hopefully I won’t have to for too long, but yeah, I’ll behave.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“How does Principal Roslin sound?”_

_“It does have a nice ring to it, but what are you up to?”_

_“I’m not up to anything.  Dick’s looking to move on to greener pasture, and you’re the obvious choice to replace him.”_

_“What about Tom?”_

_“Tom’s a dick.  I shudder at the thought of him running a school.”_

_“The decision belongs to the Board of Education, Bill.”_

_“And they’ll all support you, I promise.  Just keep doing your job in the meantime, and help your pathetic lover get his job.”_

_“You could never be pathetic.”_

They weren’t without their share of problems.  Bill’s marriage to Carolanne had crashed and burned, and his fear to repeat that mistake was nearly crippling.  Bill and Laura had a lovely relationship with Bill’s son Zak, but the other son, Lee, refused to have anything to do with his father and has yet to meet Laura.  Carolanne and Lee were two topics the couple steered away from, for the most part.  Their agreed philosophy was “if you can’t fix it, don’t discuss it.” 

For her part, Laura had been in few relationships, and she had never been in love before.  Her feelings for Bill scared her sometimes.  But, then she’d look into his eyes, or listen to him read to her before or after they’d made love (a tradition for them since their second date, which was really just a continuation of their first date), or feel his body close to hers as they slept at night, and know she needed him in her life.  Plus, Bill had made it quite clear he couldn’t live without her, and Laura’s innate selflessness made it seem cruel to even consider separating from him. 

So, after six months of alternating between his apartment and her condo, the couple finally realized they needed a place that would be truly theirs.  They found a plot of land, just on the outskirts of town, and had a cabin built on it.  Laura showed off her hidden artistic talents in the designing of the plans, and Bill’s practical military training ensured the cabin would be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.  The cabin was built, and the couple had to furnish it, so there they were on a Saturday afternoon shopping at Ikea, which also happened to be Valentine’s Day.

Laura was 0-40 against Valentine’s Day.  So, her 41st Valentine’s Day was automatically her best.  She was in a loving relationship with a good man who made her feel special every day.  And they were shopping for furniture to fill their new home.  It was perfect. 

And Bill was sweet to her all day.  She woke up to the sound of him singing to her--something about a woman by a stream.  His voice wasn’t the best.  It had a Tom Waits like quality to it, which meant it sounded like someone ripped his voice-box out of his chest, stabbed it, ran over it with a truck, and then sewed it back in.  But that didn’t matter.  Just like with Tom Waits, Bill’s voice had a quality that defied conventions of the typically sonically pleasing.  And Laura loved it.  As far as she was concerned, he could sing forever, just as long as he only sang to her.

Then he made her M&M pancakes, which were her absolute favorite.  This was a discovery they had made together, early on in their relationship.  Bill had offered to cook her breakfast one morning, after wearing her out the night before.  Little did she know, Bill only knew how to prepare a few meals.  One of them was what he made for his boys when they visited him during his shore leaves:  M&M pancakes.  So that was what he made his new girlfriend for breakfast.  In its own way, it was quite a gesture:  He had only ever made them for the two people he loved most in the world, by making them for Laura, he was acknowledging her importance in his life.  Anyway, Laura loved them, and they agreed he’d make them for her on special occasions.  They also agreed she’d teach him how to cook, which led to messes, arguments, sex, and great tasting food.

Obviously, Valentine’s Day counted as a special occasion, hence the pancakes.  And they were served to her in bed--always a bonus.  Her man made them just for her, and they were delicious.  So, it was shaping up to be a wonderful day.  But they still had to go to Ikea.

All of Laura’s friends warned her that Ikea was a couple’s litmus test.  One of her more colorful friends promised she’d experience “epic hate sex after the fight.”  Laura wasn’t sure she believed that.  Not that they never fought.  They did disagree and frequently.  But they respected each other’s opinions, and they never went to bed angry.  The longest fight they had ever had lasted until bedtime, and they didn’t even have make-up sex.  Instead, they spooned, whispering words of love, apology, and forgiveness until they drifted off to sleep.  That was the last fight they’d had in weeks, and she couldn’t even remember what it was about--something about whether closing the lid of a cereal box actually keeps the cereal fresh--so she couldn’t imagine fighting in the middle of Ikea.  They’re both much too restrained in their mannerisms for that.  Plus, they had a plan.

They had measured every wall, matched every style and color to the overall decor of the cabin.  They poured through the catalogue, studied the store website (well, Laura did that; Bill preferred not to use technology if he could help it.), and they made a list of everything they’d need and where to find it in the store.  They’d go to Ikea, pick out their stuff, buy it, and bring it home in the truck they rented just for that purpose.  It couldn’t get any simpler than that.  Zak and Saul were supposed to come help the next day. 

And everything was going very smoothly.  They were both disciplined enough to stick to the plan.  Actually, neither of them cared much for shopping, so they weren’t tempted to wander the aisles looking at Valentine’s day salt and pepper shakers.  They looked at each item on their list, making joint decisions about every thing.  By the end of the afternoon, they had the pick-up slips for every piece of furniture they’d picked out, and were headed to the warehouse with a giant cart to transport everything to the truck. 

Their cart was loaded.  Bill pushed it, while Laura guided it, making sure nothing slipped off the top.  They had picked up almost every item and were approaching the location of the final item.  When they got there, they found the shelf was empty. 

“This complicates things.”

“It’s alright.  Let’s load these things in the truck and go from there.”

Within minutes, every thing was loaded in the truck, and the couple returned to the supposed location of the final item.  They decided to first look around the surrounding area to make sure the missing item was in fact missing.  After they had both ascertained  the item’s absence, it was time to ask for assistance.They found a friendly looking young employee and approached him.

“Excuse me, my fiancée and I are looking for this chair for our sitting room, but it isn’t on the shelf where it’s supposed to be.”

“I’m sorry sir, ma’am.  That happens occasionally.  We oversell or understock.  I’ll take you to customer service, and they’ll take your information, order the missing item, and have it delivered to you as soon as it comes in.”

“That’s perfect.  Lead the way.”

Before long, Laura and Bill had straightened everything out with customer service and were leaving the store, driving home.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“Fiancee?”

“What you mean?”

“That’s what you called me back there.”

“Shit.  I guess I jumped the gun.”

“Did we get engaged without me remembering?”

“I’d hope you’d remember that, Laura.”

“I’d hope you’d remember to ask first, Bill.”

“I was going to, tonight, okay?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, you can ask me like you planned.  I’ll pretend you didn’t presume I’d say yes.”

“Wouldn’t you have, though?”

“I’m not a sure thing, Bill.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Says the woman who slept with me during our first date.  On her kitchen floor, I might add.”

“And you know damn well that wasn’t a usual occurrence for me!”

“I’d hope not.”

“What does that mean?”

“I only want you behaving that way with me.”

“Possessive much?”

“Only with you.”

“Because you love me?”

“Hence the planned proposal, yes.”

“And the presumption I’d say yes.”

“We’re building a home together.  That’s a pretty serious commitment, Laura.”

“Did you do that with Carolanne?”

“Don’t bring her up, please?”

“Why not?  If I consider marrying you, I should know what you’re like as a husband and how your past marriage worked.”

“It didn’t work; that’s the problem.”

“But why?”

“We weren’t compatible.  And, no, we didn’t build our home together.  She made all the decisions herself, and I went along with it.  I hated that place.”

“And our cabin?”

“I love our cabin.  I love how I can see both of our tastes in every room.  I love that we both participated in every aspect of its construction.”

“It is pretty great, isn’t it?”

“We’re great, Laura.  The cabin is just an extension of that.”

“And that’s why you want to marry me?”

“That and the fact that I love you and can’t live without you, yes.”

“When you put it that way, I guess I am a sure thing.”

“No you aren’t.  You’ll always have the homefield advantage.  Remember what you said when we first met?”

“Moving in already?”

“No.  But close.  You said if wasn’t to your liking you’d throw me out.  And you could do so at any time.”

“But I wouldn’t.”

“I hope not.  But I don’t take you for granted.”

“That’s why I love you.”

“And I’m the luckiest man alive.”

“We had a fight.”

“We did.”

“And it was brought on by Ikea.”

“Not really.  I said something stupid, like always, and you called me on it.”

“In Ikea.”

“What’s your point?”

“Can we have make up sex?”

“What about Valentine’s Day-my-super-romantic-boyfriend-made-me-dinner-and-proposed-to-me sex?”

“Can’t we do both?”

“So you want to pretend we’re still angry, have intense sex against a wall or something, and then return to the loveliness of Valentine’s Day?”

“Yes, please.”

“We haven’t christened our cabin yet.  You wanna make up there?  Then we can drive to your place where I have rose petals set up all over.  I’ll cater to your every need and wish, cook the meal I have planned, and make love to you after I propose.”

“Can I make one adjustment to your plan?”

“What’s that?”

“Propose to me in our cabin.  After we christen it.”

“Perfect.”

  
And they did just that.   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9116.html)   


  



	2.  First Date, First Time

Title:  First Date, First Time  
Rating:  T  
Word Count: 100  
Disclaimer:  I don't own them; they own me.  
A/N:  This is set during the first date, which is further explored during "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)" 

They didn’t make it to the bedroom the first time.  Or the couch.  Or even a chair in the dining room.  No, the kitchen was the scene of the crime.

They loaded Laura’s dishwasher and washed and dried the pans.  It became a game for them, splashing and laughing.  Then the work was done:  It was time to really play.

Bill couldn’t wait, so he had Laura naked, on her back, on the kitchen floor.  He didn’t last long.

“Sorry.”

“Apologizing for the best sex I’ve ever had?”

“You deserve better.”

“Try again, then.”

“With pleasure, Laura.”

“Mine too, Bill.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/10697.html)

  



	3.  The Morning After

Title:  The Morning After  
Rating:  T  
Disclaimer:  I don't own them; they own me.  
A/N:  This follows my drabble "[First Date, First Time.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9116.html)"  Laura wakes up with Bill in her bed and isn't sure how to feel about it.  First entry is "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."

 

  


Laura Roslin woke up to the unusual sensation of having a man’s arm wrapped around her, his head mere inches from hers.  She quickly reviewed the previous night’s events:  His name was Bill Adama and they had a blind date that went remarkably well.  Multiple sexcapades later, they finally ended up in Laura’s bed.  And he had stayed the entire night.

“Good morning,” she felt as well as heard him rumble.

“You stayed the night.”

“I moved in, remember?”

“Hmm.  What’s in it for me?”

“You get a live-in sex slave who makes great coffee.”

“I’ll take you up on the coffee.  I’m a bit sore right now.”

“Yeah, me too.  But happy.”

“Happy?”

“More than I’ve been in years.”

“I’m glad, Bill.  You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you, Laura.”

“Coffee would be a step in the right direction.”

“Coming right up.”

When Bill disappeared into her kitchen, Laura was left to contemplate her situation and her feelings about it.  She and Bill had sex, world-shatteringly great sex.  But before that they had made a connection.  When she spoke, he actually listened.  She told him about her job, mostly:  She wasn’t ready to talk about her family, but she trusted he’d listen to her when she did.  Bill was forthcoming about his marriage and its subsequent failure, his sons, and his job.  It seemed they were both at a crossroads:  Laura’s was a personal one; whereas, Bill’s was a professional one.  He had recently retired from the military and had no idea what to do with his life next.

She decided it wouldn’t hurt to spend more time with this man.  He was attentive, caring, kind, intelligent, and an amazing lover.  Instead of worrying about her heart, she was worried about his.  Bill admitted he was happier that morning than he’d been in years.  What did that mean?  Was he already falling for her?  How could she extract herself from him without hurting him?  And did she even want to?

That last question scared her the most.  What did she want?  Laura had been single her whole life.  She was overworked, undersexed, and her biological clock was violently ticking.  Did she want marriage and a baby?  And why, after one night with Bill, was she suddenly concerned about her biological clock?  What about Bill?  He already had a family.  Would he really want another one?  With her of all people?  Perhaps the scariest thought of all was that she wanted Bill in her life, and she wanted him to want her in his.

Bill’s reappearance in the bedroom startled her out of her thoughts.

“You’re coffee is served.”

“Yum. Sweet and light just how I like it.  How’d you know?”

“That’s how you made it last night.”

Laura’s mind worked back to when they had made coffee.  It was after their interlude on the kitchen floor.  They redressed, made a pot of coffee, and exchanged small talk, trying to work out what their explosive coupling meant.  All they worked out was that they were sexually compatible.  It wasn’t long before they were making out on her couch.  Their mugs abandoned on the coffee table. 

But Bill remembered how she liked her coffee.  She wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but she was touched by the fact anyway.

“I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“I want to remember everything about you.”

“Why?”

“Because any minute I’m going to wake up realizing this has all been a dream.  I want to have enough memories for when that happens.”

“What if this isn’t a dream?”

“Then I’ll thank the God I don’t believe in.”

“You don’t believe in God?”

“No.  Is that a problem?”

“No.  My own faith is faint at best.”

“Because of your family?”

“How’d you know about that?”

“Ellen mentioned something about it.  I’m sorry.  I don’t mean to pry.  I thought it was disrespectful of her to tell me something so personal about someone she’d never met herself.  But that’s Ellen for you.”

“It’s okay.  I’m not mad.  That Ellen sounds like a piece of work.”

“Oh she is, but I’m grateful for her.”

“Why?”

“She helped bring you into my life.  I’m sorry. I shouldn’t say things like that.”

“I would say that was a line, but considering our frequency, I’ll accept it as sincere.”

“God help us if I ever did use a line on you.”

“What does that mean?”

“I wasn’t trying to seduce you last night.  I mean at all.  I didn’t even want to go on our date in the first place.  I’m a grumpy old man, Laura.  But then...”

“We clicked.”

“Yeah, we did.  But could you imagine what we’d be like if I did seduce you?”

“No.  But I’d kind of like to find out.”

“Later, though.  Someone wore me out last night.”

“What do you have to do, today?  I mean, you just moved into your apartment.  You probably want to unpack and return that U-Haul.”

“Yeah.  Do you want to come with me?  We’ll return the U-Haul, get my car back, and ride to my apartment.  I’ll give you the tour, and then we can do dinner and a movie, or something.”

“Sure.  That sounds great.”

“And I’ll seduce the pants off of you.”

“Hmm.  I don’t remember you having any trouble with that, last night.”

“Smart ass.”

“That’s me.”

Thus began their second date, which went exactly how Bill said it would.   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/24702.html)

  



	4. Abstinence

Title: Abstinence  
Rating: T  
Word count: 300  
Disclaimer: don't own them; they own me  
A/N: Thanks to [](http://bleodswean.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://bleodswean.livejournal.com/)**bleodswean** for the beta.  
A/N 2: Set between "The Morning After" and "Spooning."

  
  


“Would you like more wine?”

Bill had pulled out all the stops for their second date.  After returning the U-Haul, they retrieved his car and rode to the nicest seafood restaurant in town.  Laura couldn’t keep the smile from forming as she thought about his car.  It wasn’t a flashy red Corvette like Richard drove; instead, Bill had a Taurus wagon that looked like she had been through a few wars.  But Bill loved her and made no apologies for her appearance.  That demonstrated a level of love and loyalty Richard could never possess--few people could, in fact.

“No thanks, Bill.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.  I try not to have more than one.”

“That’s admirable.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I’d never--”

“That’s not. I mean, let’s face it, you’ll probably get lucky tonight, regardless of how much or how little I drink.”

“I don’t--”

“Don’t worry about me and my virtue.  If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t have you.  Simple as that.”

“How did I earn the golden prize?”

“Your car.”

“Galactica is getting me laid!?”

“Galactica?”

“She’s been all over the world with me. She’s earned the right to a proud and noble name.”

“Yes, she has.”

“You’ve had some--”

“My paper route wasn’t always easy, no.”

“I don’t mean to pry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Is that why--”

“I abstain?  Yes.”

“What happened?”

“It killed my family.  It stopped tasting good after that, but a glass of red at dinner is still mildly enjoyable.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

“What were they like?”

“Wonderful.  My little sisters would have been fine women; they already were.  Cheryl would have made a terrific mother.  My father was the best man I’ve ever known.”

“Cheryl was--”

“Yeah, neither of them made it, of course.”

“Boy or girl?”

“I’d have a nephew.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/32577.html)

  
  



	5. The Naked Man

Title: The Naked Man  
Word Count: 300  
Rating: T-M (I suck at ratings; strong T, I guess)  
Disclaimer: don't own them; they own me.  Title and premise stolen from _How I Met Your Mother_.  
A/N:  Thanks to [](http://bleodswean.livejournal.com/profile)[**bleodswean**](http://bleodswean.livejournal.com/) for the beta.  
A/N 2:  Set between [Abstinence](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/24702.html) and [Spooning](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/18034.html).

 

  


After dinner, Bill drove Laura home in Galactica.  She decided she liked thinking of the car by that name. 

“Coffee?”

“Sure.”

Laura went into the kitchen, leaving Bill alone with his thoughts for a few minutes.

“Maybe I should give you some space,” he said when she returned to the living room.

“Are you breaking up with me, U-Haul man?”

“Of course not. I just don’t believe comfort is a reason for sex.”

“No?  What are your reasons for sex?”

“Love.”

“You’re such a romantic. I disagree, though.”

“Yeah?  What are your reasons?”

“I once had sex with a man just because he was naked.”

“Really?”

“Yup.  The date wasn’t going well.  It was a blind date, and I was in a vulnerable place.  I went to the bathroom for a few minutes planning on ending it.  When I came back, Sean was completely naked.”

“What did you do?”

“I laughed and figured what the hell.”

“Then what?”

“I threw him out of my bed and asked him not to call me again.”

“I’m not sure that would work for me.”

“Hmm.  I’ll go get the coffees.”

Laura decided to test Bill’s theory.  She needed comfort, anyway, and proving Bill wrong would be a nice bonus.  When she returned with the coffees, she played the role of the naked man.

“I, um, see the merit of the naked man scenario.”

“I thought you would.”

“Lose the coffee!”

“Yes, sir.  Right away, sir.  Anything you say, sir.”

———————————————

“The naked man, huh?”

“It went better this time.  Less awkward.  More comfort.”

“Does this mean I’ll never see you again?”

“In this case, you’re the chick, so it’s up to you, Bill.”

“Then I’d like to explore more of your reasons, please.”

“Maybe you can show me how love works, one day.”

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/18034.html)


	6. Spooning

Title: Spooning  
Rating:  T  
Word Count: 300  
Disclaimer:  I don't own them; they own me.  
A/N:  Follows my previous Ikeaverse installments found [here](http://mujaji.net/adamaroslin/viewstory.php?sid=2905&warning=4).

  


Spooned.  That’s the only word to describe it.  Laura Roslin was being spooned, or she was spooning, or they were spooning each other.  That last one is probably the most accurate description.  Anyway, Laura and her new friend Bill Adama were spooning.  Naked. In her bed. Together. 

New friend.  Laura really didn’t know how to describe Bill and his relationship to her.  They had just met a few days ago.  Slept together more times than she could count.  Did that make him her boyfriend?  Clearly he was her lover.  But did he love her?  Did she love him?  Spooning with her new friend made Laura confused.

“Good morning.”

“Mmm. It is.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Great once a certain former Commander let me actually fall asleep.”

“I don’t remember you complaining.”

“Never.  But now I’m tired and sore.”

“I have a solution for that.”

“Really?”

“Yup.  You’re going to stay in bed, and I’m going to make you breakfast.”

“Hmm.  That’s nice.”

“I’ll make you my specialty.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a surprise, Laura.  Now go back to sleep.  I’ll be back soon.”

Laura slept some more, but her bed felt empty.  Awhile later Bill returned with her surprise.  He placed the tray on her bedside table and kissed her awake. 

“A girl could get used to this.”

“I’d be happy to oblige.  Hungry?”

“Mmm. Smells delicious.  Pancakes?”

“With M&M’s.”

“That’s sweet.”

“It’s what I used to make for my boys when they were little.”

“I’m sure they loved it.”

“I hope so.”

“Of course they did.”

Bill set the loaded tray on Laura’s lap.  She dug right in, as he watched with delight.

“What else can you make?”

“Just those.  And I can heat soup okay.”

“Hmm.  We’ll have to fix that.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Cooking lessons.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/35256.html)

  
  



	7. The Big Guns

Title: The Big Guns  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: don't own them; they own me.  
A/N: Follows "[Spooning](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/18034.html)."

  


“I’m bringing out the big guns.”

“With a pawn?”

“This little pawn has great potential.  He’s a career soldier.  Gonna get promoted and do great things.”

“Are we still talking about the pawn, Bill?”

“I’m done with that life.”

“I don’t know about that.  Check.”

“Nicely played, but watch this.”

“Nice maneuver. I didn’t see that coming.”

“That was the point.”

“You killed my queen, game’s over.”

“Game’s never over, Laura.  I’d like my promotion now, please.”

“Okay. What would the pawn like to be?”

“The queen.”

“You already have a queen.”

“I want another one.”

“Come and get her.”

Bill made his way to the other side of the table, stopping at Laura’s side.  He simultaneously looked like a conquerer and the conquered. 

“I want my queen.”

“We’re not talking about the plastic one anymore, are we?”

“We never were.”

“I thought the game was never over.”

“Wasn’t talking about chess, Laura.  Come here.”

“Yes, Commander Adama, sir.”

For the next hour, Laura and Bill played what was already becoming their favorite game.  She gave him the promotion he sought, which he took with gratitude and used in the service of his queen.  In the end, they were both winners and very happy.  All in all, it was a great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. 

It was their third consecutive day together, and they’d only met that Friday night.  Laura found she liked having Bill around.  And he seemed to like being there with her.  It was nice. And felt normal.  She felt an easy intimacy without the claustrophobia she experienced with other lovers who got too close.  Bill didn’t crowd her.  He was just there.  He understood her need for space, but she found herself needing less and less of it all the time.  What was happening to her?

“Laura?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you need me to leave?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Figured you had work to do for school tomorrow.”

“I do, but you don’t have to go.  Unless you need to do something.”

“Not really.  Retired, remember?”

“You don’t have to stay that way.”

“Who would possibly hire a crusty old man like me?”

“I would.”

“You’re biased.”

“Maybe.  I think you have more to offer the world than you know.”

“Like what?”

“Wisdom. Experience.  They’re important, Bill.”

“Hmph!  Not according to the US Navy.”

“Their loss, my gain.”

“What ya have to do?”

“I have some papers to grade, and I need to go over my lesson plans.  I’ll also have to start my PIPs soon.  I have a lot of teachers to evaluate.”

“Sounds like a headache.”

“It is.”

“I never liked writing performance reviews in my logs.”

“I’m sure you were fair.”

“I hope so.”

“I have an idea for you.”

“Should I be scared?”

“Probably, but you’ll do it anyway.”

“Shoot.”

“Come to school with me tomorrow.  Meet the kids.  Tell them some stories.  Be a role model.”

“Okay, I’m scared.”

“You’ll be fine. You commanded an aircraft carrier with hundreds of crewmen.  I think you can handle my class of fifteen.”

“You only have fifteen students?!”

“Yeah.  AP classes are typically small.  More is expected, and most students can’t be bothered.”

“I’d be honored.”

“Then you should go home and get something to wear.  But hurry right back mister!  We have work to do.”

“Work?”

“I have to teach you how to cook, remember? And I want to tell you about my students and go over some things with you.”

“Yes, my queen.”

“Good pawn.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/38835.html)

  
  



	8. The Importance of Classroom Management

Title: The Importance of Classroom Management  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: don't own them  
A/N: This is part of an 'open' universe, which begins with "[Normaling"](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)

  


Bill reluctantly left Laura’s Bed, pulled his clothes on, and left her condo, as she commanded, with the promise he’d be back soon.  They did have a lot of work to do after all.

After Bill had gone, Laura pondered her decision to bring Bill into her world.  Their weekend sex-a-thon was lovely and fulfilling of all of her most latent desires, but it was the weekend.  During the week, Laura was Ms. Roslin, the AP English teacher and Administrator of the English department for grades K-12.  That was her world, her life.  And she had invited Bill Adama, a stranger essentially, into it.  But it felt strangely right to do so. 

From what she had gathered from their conversations, Bill felt lost after his retirement.  She wanted to help him find his way.  She didn’t necessarily think that he’d find his path through teaching.  Of course not.  Teaching isn’t for everyone; nobody knew that better than Laura.  But she wanted him to see he had more to offer the world.  And she thought there were a few individuals in particular who would benefit from meeting the former Commander.

Deciding her invitation would be beneficial to all parities,  Laura was ready to shift her thoughts to dinner.  She and Bill would be preparing dinner together.  He was a self proclaimed novice in the kitchen, so she wanted to start with something simple to build his confidence.  Plus, they really had more to do than just cook all night.  Laura slipped into her robe and went into the kitchen to take an inventory and make a decision.  After looking in her closet, she found she had enough ingredients for spaghetti.  Laura started assembling the ingredients on her island and waited for Bill’s return.  She made a cup of tea and sat at the island sipping it, forming a mental lesson plan.

Before long, Bill was back. 

“Hey, beautiful.  Ya miss me?”

“Yes,” and as she said it, she realized she meant it. 

“What’s all that?”

“That’s going to be our dinner.  Now go put your bag away in my closet, and get your ass back here.  We’re making dinner together.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Was I demoted already?”

“I mean, my queen.”

“That’s better.”

Bill decided it was best to follow his superior officer’s orders.  He had been taking orders his whole career, but he had never really enjoyed it until he met Laura.  She could issue commands to her heart’s content, and he would willingly follow every one.  So, he went into the bedroom they were currently sharing, placed his bag in her closet, and hurried back to the kitchen to await his next instruction.

“I’m ready to begin.”

“No you’re not.  Wash your hands, mister.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bill washed his hands thoroughly and reported back to Laura.

“Now I’m ready to report for duty.”

“Yes you are.  Now first thing’s first.  We’re having spaghetti.  We need to boil a pot of water first.  You ever boil water?”

“Yes.”

“Good.  Take this pot, and fill it this high [using her finger to point how high] with water.  Then put it on the stove, and heat it to a boil.”

Bill set about accomplishing that task.

“Okay, it’ll take a while to boil.  Let’s start our salad.  We’re going to make lettuce wedge salads with halved grape tomatoes, bacon pieces and ranch dressing.  It’s really easy.  You chop the head into quarters, place a quarter on a plate.  Slice some tomatoes in half, nuke the ready-made bacon for fifteen seconds and break it into bits, and put some dressing on the top.”

“What about the other quarters?”

“We’ll use them for something else tomorrow.”

Bill did everything Laura said, as she monitored his progress, offering hints and encouragement as needed, and checking the on the pot of water.  When he was finished with their salad wedges, Laura had him pour the tomato sauce into a sauce pan and put it on the stove to heat.  By that time, the water was about ready to boil.  When it finally did, Laura instructed him to add salt, butter, and the pasta to the water, and let it cook.

“I don’t like al dente, so we want it to cook long enough to get soft.  It’s best to taste it periodically.  In the meantime, let’s set the dining room table.”

“You’re an excellent teacher.”

“Aside from Billy, you’re my best student.”

“Billy?”

“My favorite student this year.  I’ll tell you all about him later.”

“You have favorites?”

“Yes.  It doesn’t affect how I treat them or grade them, but I have a soft spot for Billy.”

“Do you have a soft spot for me?”

“You know I do.”

“I’m feeling a little hot for teacher myself.”

“Later. We have a lot to do, Commander.”

“Right.  Let’s check the pasta.”

They returned to the kitchen just in time.  The pasta was cooked perfectly to Laura’s liking, which meant it was to Bill’s liking, as he wanted nothing more than to make his teacher happy.  Laura showed him how to strain the pasta and pour the sauce over it.  Finally they were ready to serve themselves and eat.  They moved into the dining room with their filled plates.

“Tell me about Billy.”

“He’s only 15, but he’s so smart he skipped a few grades, so he’s a senior already.  He’s awkward and shy, but he’s so sweet.  I’ve taken him under my wing, mentoring him.  He’s planning to enroll in college in the fall, and he’s so nervous about it.”

“He sounds like a great kid but a handful.”

“That’s the thing.  He’s not.  He’s very quick and appreciates everything that’s given to him.  I’d take a thousand of him any day.”

“So I’ll get to meet him?”

“Yes, and I’d love for you to be a role model for him.  He could use a strong male role model.”

“What about his parents?”

“Oh, they’re wonderful, but they have no idea what to make of their son.  He’s their youngest, their only boy, and he’ll be the first in his family to attend college.  Anyway, I’d like him to see what a good man is.  Aside from his own father, there aren’t many good men he’s exposed to.  He needs you, Bill.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“I know you will.”

“What else do I need to know?”

“We should talk about classroom management.”

“Sounds intimidating.”

“It’s very important.  Without a well managed classroom, you could have a mutiny on your hands.”

“That would be bad.”

“Very.”

“What do you do?”

“Classroom management is a lot like being in the military.  You need to expect something to happen at any moment.  You should remain calm, treat your students with respect but have clear expectations for them to live up to.  If they see that you care about them, they’ll care about themselves more and behave.”

“That is a lot like being in the military.”

“Then you’ll be fine.”

“Plus, I’ll have you around to protect me.”

“That too.”

“But I still have a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re in that robe.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s covering you.”

“Oh dear!  What are you going to do?”

“This.”

Bill rose from his chair and was quickly by Laura’s side.  He helped her stand, and stripped the robe from her.

“That’s much better.”

“What about you?  This seems a little unfair.”

“What ya gonna do about it?”

“This.”

Laura went to work removing his clothes.  He didn’t offer much resistance. 

“You know, we still have all those dishes to clean and food to put away.”

“We’ll take care of it after dessert.”

“Mmm. I like the sound of that."

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/42912.html)   
  



	9. Take Your Commander to Work Day Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura tells Bill about her standard school day before they get up Monday morning.

Title: Take Your Commander to Work Day Part One  
Word Count: ~500  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura tells Bill about her standard school day before they get up Monday morning.  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse, which begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


“Tell me again what your day is like.”

“You mean tell you the first time.  I didn’t get very far last night.”

“It was the robe.  Very distracting.”

“Then we were exhausted after cleaning up.”

“So many dishes.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“I love this bed.”

“Why’s that?”

“Mostly I love it for its occupant.”

“Hmm.”

“So, your day.  What’s it like?”

“Well, it begins with coffee and a shower.”

“Always a good beginning.”

“I think you’ll like it this morning.  We don’t have time for separate showers.”

“I love when you bring out the big guns and use logic.”

“Logic almost always works.”

“So after you’re caffeinated, showered and dressed?”

“Then I drive to the school.  I like to get there early before the parking lot gets full and the hallways get crammed.  I go to my office and take care of administrative stuff.  Usually Starbuck comes in at some point, and we talk.”

“Starbuck?”

“A nickname.  Her real name’s Kara.  You’ll probably get to meet her today; she’s quite a character.”

“Where’s the name from?”

“I gave it to her.”

“Doesn’t sound like you.”

“Kara’s a special case.”

“How’s that?”

“You’ll understand when you meet her.”

“Why does she visit you?  Isn’t she in class?”

“Very likely she was thrown out.”

“Then why doesn’t she go to the principal’s office?  Isn’t that where they send the troublemakers?”

“Typically.  Starbuck goes to me, though.  Like I said, she’s a special case.”

“And she doesn’t give you trouble?”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

“She trusts me.  Anyway, I want her to meet you.  I think you could do her a lot of good.”

“How’s that?”

“She’s interested in the military.  I think it would be great for her.  Give her discipline, but I know nothing about it, and I never trusted recruiters.  In fact, I’ve gotten into several squabbles with them at the school.  Principal Adar finally decided he wouldn’t let them come anymore.”

“I’d love to have seen those battles.”

“Not my best moments.  Usually I find diplomacy is the best strategy, but sometimes, my temper gets the best of me.”

“So you want me to talk to her?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think that’ll work?”

“I just have a feeling you two’ll click.”

“A feeling?”

“Yes.  I’ve gotten very far in life acting on my feelings.  Why should this be any different?”

“Indeed.  So after you do stuff in your office and deal with Starbuck?”

“That takes me to lunch time, usually.  After that, my day varies.  Sometimes, I go around the other schools in the district to check on the Language Arts teachers.  Towards the end of the year, I go to area campus job fairs to look for fresh graduates to hire.  Then, of course, I have my class in the afternoon—my favorite part of the day by far.  Then, I go home unless I go to one of the sporting events or extra-curricular activities.  I try to support my students.”

“You’re such a good teacher.”

“It’s something I keep working on.”

“We should get started.”

“Get your fat lazy ass out of the bed, Adama!”

“Yes, Ma’am. Right away, Ma’am.  Anything you say, Ma’am.”  
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/45231.html)

  
  



	10. Take Your Commander To Work Day Part Two: An Ikeaverse Installment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura learns more about Bill.  They drive to the school.  We learn more about Laura, her past, and the past, present, and potential future of the school.

Rating: K+  
Word Count: ~1200  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura learns more about Bill.  They drive to the school.  We learn more about Laura, her past, and the past, present, and potential future of the school.  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse, which begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


After a very long and thoroughly enjoyable shower, followed up with coffee (hers light and sweet, his black), they were ready to go to the school.  Laura had carefully laid out her outfit and assembled her bag the night before, so she was good to go.  Her teacher mask was already firmly in place by the time they stepped out onto her front porch. 

They had agreed to take Laura’s car, so she could drive.  That was a fascinating conversation for Laura.  When they were still in the shower, Bill said, “You should drive.  We’ll take your car.”

She suspected there was a reason for that statement, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him.  “You’ll let a woman drive?”

“I’ll let you drive anytime.”

That one sentence told her everything she needed to know about her relationship (whatever it was) with Bill.  The man would never try to overpower her, and he’d never even want to.  She had no idea what the future would hold for them, but Laura knew she’d enjoy her time with Bill greatly.  The few days they’d spent together were among the best of her life.

So when they walked out the front door, they went to Laura’s car, which was sitting in the driveway next to the gargantuan Galactica.  Laura placed her bag in the back seat and got in the drivers’ seat of her red Sunfire.  Bill got in beside her, and they were on their way.

As they rode, Laura could tell Bill was relaxed.  His breathing was even, and his posture was lose.  She felt another burst of affection for the man beside her.  His trust meant a lot to her.  Bill Adama was both trusting and trustworthy, and that made him very special.  If that had been the only thing she knew about the man, it would have been enough to tell her she wanted to get to know him better.  But after only a few days, that fact was one of many that she’d picked up about her new friend.  And she definitely wanted to get to know him better. 

Bill’s state of ease helped Laura relax, and they had a easy ride.  Laura had always found that she preferred to travel during odd hours.  She liked to leave her house by 6:30 or 7:00 at the most, and she tried to be on the road either before or after evening rush hour.  Like with most things, Laura was a careful driver, but she had no patience for traffic and avoided it as best she could.  She organized her life accordingly. 

Before long, they had arrived at the school.  Laura parked into her preferred space.  Her school didn’t have designated parking spaces except for the principals, but her tendency to arrive before nearly everyone else afforded her a primo parking spot every day.  In her carefully constructed life, that mattered to Laura.  Her morning routine was very important, and it was a frighteningly accurate indication of how her day would go.  That morning was shaping up to look like it would be a good day, which was great because she really wanted Bill to see how great it was to work with kids. 

Laura both loved and hated her job.  When she had begun working there, fresh out of college, the high school was newly built.  It was a center of rebirth and change with a culture of learning and knowledge.  The faculty and staff acted like they were part of a family.  Of course, Laura really did get to work with hers.  At that time, her mother was still alive; she’d yet to develop the cancer that would eat her from the inside out, and she was teaching.  From her mother, she’d inherited her twin loves of literature and teaching it.  And there had never been a finer English teacher than Judith Roslin.  The few years that Laura was able to work alongside her mother had given her invaluable knowledge of all things relating to pedagogy. 

But things changed.  Judith had to leave on medical leave; she was never able to return, and she died after a long and brutal fight.  That in itself was a trying time for Laura, but that wasn’t the only change she—and the school faced.  Many of the teachers who were at the school when Laura was hired started retiring.  The kindly old principal retired; he was replaced with the self-serving Richard Adar.  The culture of the school changed from one of a community of learning and knowledge among a staff of professionals to one of nepotism and greed.  Not that the teachers being hired, weren’t qualified—Dr. Gaius Baltar was more than qualified to teach any science class, but he didn’t care about the students or their learning. 

Laura suddenly became an outsider, but she didn’t let that stop her from doing her job as she saw fit.  In her classroom, the children always came first.  She tolerated the other staff members and focused on her work.  And she had finally gotten a break two years prior when the Language Arts department chairperson retired.  The superintendent  offered her the position, and she accepted it, knowing she’d have nearly full control over the hires of all Language Arts teachers throughout the district and would be responsible for the curricula for each grade level.  She had more than earned the right to accept the position, having spent years taking graduate courses, writing and publishing papers in education, and inspiring excellence in everyone she encountered. 

With Laura running the English department, it became a beacon of light in an otherwise drab building.   Her teachers were dedicated to their jobs.  They wanted nothing more than to please their boss.  Those who weren’t up to snuff, were given poor performance reviews and denied tenure.  That didn’t mean Laura had a flawless department.  There were teachers who were hired during the old regime with tenure, who didn’t fit their supervisor’s standards.  While Laura had hiring power, she didn’t have firing power.  So she was stuck with John Cavil and Aaron Doral.  But she assigned them each study-halls, lav duties, lunch duties, and anything else where they couldn’t do much damage, which was a method of management Richard preferred himself.  And it was  working for the time being. 

Laura’s office was a sanctuary, even when Starbuck was in it.  From inside her office, Laura could control most of what went on in her wing of the school.  It was a power she had never sought, but gladly accepted when she had the opportunity.  It was the only way she could think of to help restore the school she loved to its former glory.  Many people would have given up and taken their very impressive resume to another school, but Laura barely even considered it.  She had never been a quitter, and it wouldn’t have been what her mother wanted.  Judith would have been appalled by what the school turned into in the 15 years since her death, and she’d be fighting alongside her daughter to fix it.  It was a fight Laura hoped Bill would join.  She wasn’t sure what she had in mind for him, yet, but she knew he’d remain at her side all the way until the end. 

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/68697.html)   
  



	11.  Take Your Commander to Work Day Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Laura get to the school.  They talk about parenting and children.  They go inside Laura's office and she muses about things while waiting for her computer to boot up.

Title:  Take Your Commander to Work Day Part Three  
Rating: K+  
Word Count: ~2100  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Bill and Laura get to the school.  They talk about parenting and children.  They go inside Laura's office and she muses about things while waiting for her computer to boot up.  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse, which begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"  


  
  


When they got out of Laura’s Sunfire, Bill offered to carry her bag.  More important, she let him; it was a sign of her trust.  They walked side by side toward the front entrance.  Bill watched as Laura walked with purpose and strength.  Her long legs gave her a long stride, and she covered distances quickly.  Bill had a similar walk when he was commanding his aircraft carrier.  It was a walk that conveyed confidence and power.  His lover’s strength inspired him.  The truth was the retired commander was nervous. 

It had been years since he’d set foot in a school.  Because he was away all of the time, Carolanne had always handled the school thing for the boys.  It was one of the many aspects of his life Bill felt guilty about (even if he claimed that he didn’t do guilt); he wished he had been a better husband and father.  Lee had graduated the previous year and was a freshman at a prestigious university in the city.   It was too late for Bill; he had missed his oldest son’s childhood almost entirely, and he’d never get another chance with him.  But he still had a chance with Zak:  His other son was still a sophomore.  He didn’t have much time, but he swore to himself he wouldn’t waste it.

As Laura walked, she watched Bill through her peripheral vision. She noticed the change in his demeanor.  She turned to face him, slowing her pace.  He looked more nervous than she was on her first day of teaching.  Laura stopped outside the door.  She wanted to make sure he was ready to face the day before bringing him inside. 

“You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”  His face had taken his obstinate look, but Laura was unimpressed by it.

“Gee, I don’t know, but you look more nervous than I was my first day of teaching.  What is it?”  Laura’s face was sincere in spite of her teasing tone.

“It’s silly.”  He was noticeably embarrassed by his display. 

“I doubt that.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside a school, Laura.”

“Okay.” Laura didn’t understand his consternation.  She knew it had been a long time since he was in high school, but that fact alone shouldn’t have affected him so much.

“I’ve never participated in school functions for my sons.  I’ve missed Lee’s entire education. I’ll never get another chance with him.”

“Didn’t you say he was in college?  He’ll need your support for that, Bill.”

“It’s different.  He’s an adult; his own man.  And he won’t need me.”

“Never say never, and never give up hope.”

“I…”  He had nothing to say to that, really.  He couldn’t see how someone who’d been through such terrible losses could still be so warm, so caring, but he’d learned that was just who Laura was.  Bill felt truly lucky to have her in his corner.

“I’m sorry, Bill.  I don’t have children.  I can’t understand what you’re feeling.” 

“Maybe not exactly, but it means a lot that you’re trying.”

“What about your other son?  Zak, right?”

Bill nodded to confirm she had the name right and said, “He’s still a sophomore.  He goes here.”

Laura grinned at him and said, “How convenient for you then.”

“Perhaps.”

“You’re dating an administrator, Bill Adama.  That comes with certain perks.”

“I don’t want you to go out of your way, Laura.”

“I won’t.  It won’t take more than a few keystrokes.”

“Computers.”  He said the word like it was a product of the devil.

“I forgot you’re afraid of them.”  That was something that had come up during their first date; although, Laura couldn’t remember how they had started talking about computers.  It was one of those conversations that had no obvious trajectory. 

“I’m not afraid; I just don’t like them.”  Bill’s obstinate nature returned.

“Well, they’re the future, my friend.  And it seems like they’re here to stay.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” 

Isn’t that the truth, Laura thought.  Although she had no qualms about computers, there were many things she accepted without liking.  “No. It doesn’t,” she said.

“I’m sorry.  You’re trying to help me, and I’m—”  He lowered his face toward the ground in shame.  Laura thought it was adorable.

“Don’t be,” she flashed him a reassuring smile when he raised his face again, looking her in the eye.  She continued, “I’m glad you’ve got some fight in you again.  Ready to go inside?”

“After you, Ma’am.”

Laura led them inside.  Bill couldn’t believe the size of the school.  He had graduated in a class of 100, so the idea of there being class sizes of five or six hundred seemed overwhelming.  From what he could tell from the front entrance, the school was essentially an oval with wings off of it, on two stories.  Because they were there so early, there were no students, and there didn’t seem to be many teachers either.  It was very quiet.  Laura turned to her friend.

“What do you think?”

“It’s big.”

“That it is.”

“Quiet.”

“Not for long.”

“I guess not.  How many students did you say go here?”

“Over 2000.”

“Wow.”

“Pretty standard for an area like this.”

“It just seems like a lot.”

“Times are changing, Bill.  Have been for awhile.”

“I know.  I’m just—“

“Not good with change, I know.”  Laura’s smile told him she didn’t mind that particular quirk of his. 

“So, where is this office of yours?”

“Let’s go.  And remember, flexibility is the key to airpower.”

“That’s what my superior officers always tried to tell me.”

“Must be true, then.”  They both laughed then.  The pair linked arms and continued beyond the lobby.

Laura led Bill to the stairwell, upstairs, and to the Language Arts department, which was in the north-east wing of the school.  Her office was at the very end of the hall on the corner.  Laura had always liked corners, so she felt right at home in her office.  She unlocked her door, and led Bill inside. 

“It’s not much, but it’s all mine.  Have a seat, make yourself comfortable.”  Bill did just that after handing Laura her bag.

Bill thought someone with as many responsibilities as Laura should certainly have a bigger office, but he was used to similar circumstances in the Navy.  He knew enough to keep his mouth shut.  It was clear that his lover was dedicated to her job, regardless of how she was relegated.  Once again, he was overcome with pride for her.  Just knowing her made him want to be a better man.

Laura sat at her desk and settled in.  She turned her computer on, knowing it would have to think for awhile before deciding to function.  Monday mornings were always rough for her and her computer.  Like the rest of the liberal and fine arts departments, the Language Arts department got the second hand computers, usually the ones from the science, business, and engineering academies after they got new ones.  She understood the reasoning for that, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.  Over time, she learned that her computer worked best when she didn’t need it.  So, on Monday mornings she planned to organize her desk and unpack her bag while it slowly came to life.  Laura had stopped using the desktop for grading long ago.  She did her grading and most of her work on her Macbook at home, especially after Dr. Baltar installed the new security systems on all the school computers. 

She hated the idea of that man, Richard, and Tom being able to look at her activities.  Again, she understood the need, but she didn’t trust any of those men.  There had always been bad blood between Gaius and Laura, and he had his friendship with Richard to back him up.  Laura only had the fact that her boss liked to hit on her, and she turned him down repeatedly.  And Tom Zarek had always creeped her out.  He was the quintessential vice principal, and none of the students could stand him, which was normal, but Laura had to admit there was something not quite right about him.  She had always treaded lightly around all three men—and she encouraged her students to do the same, especially Starbuck.

She hadn’t checked her email since Friday afternoon, which was highly unusual for her.  Laura liked to be on top of everything.  Not that there was a lot of email activity during a standard weekend, but sometimes her students wanted to contact her, and sometimes Starbuck would email her to vent. 

Laura knew the girl’s relationship with her mother wasn’t a good one.  Kara had never given her any specifics, but Laura suspected the girl was abused at home.  She had informed Richard of her suspicions, and when that yielded no results, she called Child Services.  Evidently, Socrata Thrace was able to put on a good enough act to fool them.  The idea that Laura could be wrong about the situation had never crossed her mind:  She trusted her instincts, especially where Kara was concerned.  The two had grown inexplicably close in the last two years.  Kara was among the last freshmen Laura had taught before accepting the position of department chairperson.  The girl was in her junior year, but she continued her association with Laura.  Their bond was something that just _was_ ; neither had ever talked about it, but it was very important to Laura, and she knew it was to Starbuck too. 

And occasionally, the girl would email her over the weekend.  She never provided specific details, but Laura recognized it as her attempt to reach out.  Kara had no one else to talk to:  The only friends she had that Laura was aware of were boys—all athletes.  She couldn’t talk to her mother for obvious reasons, and she avoided Mr. Conoy’s office at all costs.  He seemed to be a fine academic advisor, but Kara wanted nothing to do with him.  Laura never questioned it; she simply accepted her place as Kara’s unofficial advisor, and they continued accordingly.

As Laura went about her Monday morning routine, she noticed Bill watching her.  Ordinarily, the woman didn’t like being watched.  It made her nervous.  Laura preferred to meet her visitors’ needs and send them on their way, so she could continue to work in peace.  But Bill’s gaze didn’t bother her at all.  She knew he was cataloging everything in her office and gaining a better understanding of her professional side.    She liked that he was content just to watch her:  He didn’t say a word, and Laura didn’t feel like she had to entertain him.  Bill understood that her work was important and respected her for it.

Just as Laura had unpacked the last of her papers, her computer came to life, and she logged in.  She was glad to see she had gotten no emails that weekend, so Starbuck must have been okay, for the most part.  She knew she’d be seeing the girl in person soon enough—Starbuck came every day almost like clockwork.  Sometimes they talked; sometimes Kara just wanted to sit, and Laura would let her, doing her work, as the girl worked through her thoughts. 

Laura looked at the time.  It was quarter to eight.  The warning bell for homeroom rang at 7:48.  Then, at 7:50 the homeroom bell would ring, and the pledge of allegiance and announcements would begin promptly.  At 7:56 the first bell would ring, giving everyone four minutes to get to their first class.  Some time between 8:00 and 8:15, Dr. Baltar would throw Kara out of class, and she’d head straight to Laura.  Kara had once joked that she learned more about Anatomy and Physiology in Laura’s office than she could ever learn from Dr. Baltar, and Laura believed that was true.  She didn’t understand why he didn’t just stick to his speciality—Physics.  There were other, more qualified, teachers available, but Baltar insisted on teaching all of the sciences.  He had quite the ego, and neither Laura nor Kara could stand him.  While, Laura didn’t condone Kara’s behavior, she knew Kara had an honor code of her own, and she couldn’t be swayed.  Laura admired that about her young friend.

“Laura?” 

Laura blinked and turned to Bill. “Yeah?”

“You were far away there for a minute.”

“I was thinking about Starbuck.”

“I’m very curious about that name.”

“Oh.  I’ll let her tell the story.  She tells it much better.”

“I doubt that.  You’re a wonderful story teller.”

“You’ve never met Kara.”

“I look forward to it.”

“It won’t be long now, Bill.”

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/107391.html)   
  



	12. Take Your Commander to Work Day Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  We meet Kara and the other students of Lexington High for the first time.  The reason behind Kara's nickname is revealed, and Laura and Bill work to right the latest injustice in the school.

Title: Take Your Commander to Work Day Part Four  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~3000  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary:  We meet Kara and the other students of Lexington High for the first time.  The reason behind Kara's nickname is revealed, and Laura and Bill work to right the latest injustice in the school.  
A/N: This is the first of a three chapter arc in honor of [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) 's birthday.  Happy Birthday!  
A/N 2: Thanks to [](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/profile)[**wicked_sassy**](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/) for the beta. *hugs*  
A/N 3: This is part of an open 'verse, which begins with "[Normaling"](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)

 

  
Laura was right.  It wasn’t long before a young woman threw open the office door, then slammed it behind her.

Bill turned his head to the door and back to Laura’s face; she looked completely unfazed as she said, “Good morning, Starbuck.  Dr. Baltar threw you out early today.”

Kara shook her head.  “I didn’t bother going today.” Then she looked appraisingly at Bill. It reminded him of his first inspection at Basic. “Who’s the stiff?”

Bill wasn’t sure how to react, but Laura smiled.  “This is Commander Bill Adama.  He’s--”

“I’m Ms. Roslin’s friend.”  He wasn’t sure how much Laura wanted Kara to know about them, but it really wasn’t her business.

“Nice to meet you.” Kara turned her attention back to Laura. “Can we talk?”

Laura nodded, and the student sat down.  Bill sat quietly next to Kara as Laura conducted her conference.  He looked around the office.  The desk was bare except for her computer and the papers she’d been working on grading.  There were no photos on it.  There weren’t many in her condo either, he realized.  Maybe it hurt too much to look at _them_. 

There was a poster on the wall behind her chair.  It was of a man kneeling in front of the flag in the middle of a battlefield.  The words “Never forget” on the bottom of it.  He wondered what it meant to her. 

The rest of the walls were bare, but she had a sign on her door.  “Work with me, people.”  He had to refrain from chuckling, not wanting to interrupt the ladies during their conference.  He turned his attention back to them. 

Kara explained the latest injustice:  They were cutting the cross country team because the coach quit suddenly.  Kara was quick to explain that she didn’t care personally, but her friend Sam relied on it to stay in shape for winter basketball. Plus, he usually came home with medals at the end of big meets. 

Kara looked at Bill.  “You’re Zak’s dad, ain’t ya?”

Bill nodded.  “Is he a friend of yours?”

“We’re pretty tight, yeah.  Him, me, and Sam.”

Bill glanced at Laura, who appeared confused, then back at Kara.  “Ms. Roslin mentioned you had an interesting nickname.  I’d like to hear the story behind it.” 

Kara smirked.  “It’s a good one.  You wanna tell it with me, Ms. R?”

“Why don’t you start.  I’ll cut in.”

Kara nodded.  “So, I was in Ms. R’s class for freshman English.  There were some real _brainiacs_ in there too. But Ms. R was good to all of us.  Anyway, we had to read _Moby Dick._ But nobody read it—“

“Except Kara.”

“Right, except me.  So Ms. R and I talked about the book by ourselves and everyone else wrote down what we said.  Of course, Ms. R’s a trickster, and she made the test an essay test—“

“And Kara got the best grade in the class.”

Kara shook her head. “Look at my competition.  No big deal.  Anyway, one of the questions was ‘what character do you identify with the most?’ and I wrote about how Starbuck and me had a lot in common.”

“So I started calling her Starbuck.”

“And it stuck.”

“I’m guessing the other kids didn’t do too well,” Bill said.

Laura shook her head. 

“No one complained, though.  Ms. R made it clear that if we didn’t read the books we wouldn’t do good.  She was a cool enough teacher that she could yell at us without it feeling like she hated us.”

“And everyone read the next book and did much better on the next test.”

Kara nodded.  “She never even had to raise her voice.”

Bill observed their easy rapport.  Laura obviously held Starbuck in high regard, and the feeling was mutual.  Clearly, Kara was very intelligent, but she wasn’t willing to work with people she didn’t respect.  Laura had her respect and Dr. Baltar didn’t.  Bill gathered that Laura didn’t care much for him either.  He made a note to learn more about that later.

“And that’s the story of how Starbuck got her name,” Laura said.

Bill nodded.  “That’s a great story. Thank you for sharing.”  That time, when he looked at Kara, she gave him direct eye-contact.  Surely, Laura’s voucher must count for something.

“You seem like an okay guy, Old Man.  You treatin’ Ms. R good?”

“I am.” He nodded solemnly. 

“You’d better, or you have me to answer to.”

“Starbuck!”

“I’m sorry, Ms. R, but—“

“I know, Kara.  Thank you.”

It meant a lot to him that Kara would rush to Laura’s aid if she ever needed it.  The two of them were a united front; their enemies would be in a lot of trouble.  Kara was athletic—and probably used to taking care of herself. 

The bell rang.  Kara muttered something about trying her luck in her next class.  She waved at Laura and Bill. Then she was out the door.  A force of nature.

Bill looked from the door to Laura.  “She really cares about you.”

Laura nodded. “I know.”

“And she knows my son.”

“I didn’t realize that.  I knew she mentioned a Zak, but I never knew his last name.”

“Small world.” He paused. “She seems like a good kid, if misunderstood.”

Laura smiled.  “I knew you’d like her.”

“I didn’t say that.” Bill smiled.

“But you do, I know you do.”

“I like how she treats you.”

Laura sighed and looked down.

“What’s wrong?” Bill looked at  her in concern.

“I can’t believe they’re getting rid of cross country.”

“Sounds like all they need’s a coach.”

“They’re too lazy to look for one.”

“Yeah?”

Laura nodded.  “It’s a football school.”

“I thought the football team sucked.”

She hummed with amusement. “Yes.  Doesn’t matter, though. The coach is friends with the athletic director.  The team gets the biggest part of the budget.”

“How do you know that?”

“I read the yearly budget carefully.”

He nodded. “That’s not right.”

She gave him a sad smile.“Welcome to my world,” she said, before turning her attention back to her desk. 

Bill’s training allowed him to be a silent observer.  She’d be able to work without interruption--at least until Starbuck came back at some point that day, maybe with company. 

He watched her work.  With her powers of concentration and enough time, he was certain she could solve all the world’s problems.  He’d brought a book with him, but Laura was more interesting than any book could be.

Suddenly, she looked up.  “I’m gonna do it.”

“Do what?”

“Coach cross country.”

“Do you know anything about running?”

Laura shook her head.  “Doesn’t matter.  I’ll learn.  The kids’ll teach me.”

Bill smiled at her.  “That could work.  Want an assistant coach?”

“You?”

He nodded. “I know how to get results from people.”

She put out her hand for him to shake.  They’d be together in this for the good of the kids on that team.  He took her hand, and they shook.  Two strong pumps.  That was as good as a contract for him.

Laura got to her feet.  “You’ve got it, Mr. Adama.  Let’s save the cross country team.” She started for the door. “You comin’?”

Bill stood up. “Where?”

“The athletic department.”

He moved to the door. “Will this work?”

She nodded.  “They may be lazy.  But our runners are among the best in the state.  That means medals and trophies.  The school needs that and they know it.”

Bill grinned.  “Let’s go then, Coach Roslin.”

————————————————————————————

Rather than fight with the determined woman, the athletic director acted exactly as predicted—he washed his hands of the whole thing and handed the team over to her.  Bill would be permitted to be the assistant coach once he was fingerprinted and underwent a background check.  He promised the Navy would provide them with both by the time the week was out.  In the meantime, he’d help Laura in an unofficial capacity. It was made very clear to both of them her job would be on the line if anything inappropriate happened.

They left the office shaking their heads and laughing.  “I’ll have my eye on you, Bill,” she giggled.

“You’ll see me looking at you, Laura.”

“That’s Coach Roslin to you, Adama.”

“Yes, Coach.” He saluted.

“I think those kids will be happy.”

“Of course they will.  You saved their team.” He paused. “Let’s stop for dinner on the way home.  Celebrate.”

“That’s a good assistant.”

“Not yet.”

“That’s how I’m introducing you, Bill.  You deserve that much.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Come on. We’re gonna be late.”

——————————————————————

Laura led Bill into her classroom.  He sat next to her desk.  The classroom had some artwork on the walls.  There was one piece that caught his eye.  It was an abstract, or something, of circles in blue, orange, and yellow.  He didn’t understand it, but he liked it.  He asked Laura about it.  “Oh, Starbuck painted it for me.”

Kara was an artist, and a talented one--at least as far as he was concerned.  He liked to think he had taste in art.  He’d always decorated his quarters, so he’d feel more at home.  He never had anything like Kara’s painting, though.

When the bell rang, her students filed in.  A lanky young man entered first.  Bill could feel the warmth of Laura’s smile.  That must be Billy. 

The student approached Laura’s desk.  “Hi, Ms. Roslin.  How was your weekend?”

“Hi Billy.  It was wonderful.” She gestured to Bill. “This is my friend Commander Bill Adama.”

Billy put out his hand for Bill. Bill took it and gave him a firm handshake.  “Commander.  Does that mean you were in the Navy?”

“Yes,  I just retired.”

“That’s cool, sir.”  He looked back at Laura. 

“Billy?” she said gently.

“Yes?”

“I’ve recently become the cross country coach.  I’ll be looking for a manager if you’re interested.”

Billy’s smile was bright.  “I’d like that, Ms. Roslin.”

“I know you’ll be perfect for the job.”

————————————————————————

The rest of the class seemed smart enough, but it was clear why Billy was Laura’s favorite.  He was a whir of energy.  He read everything and could answer all the questions.  When Laura assigned a brief in-class writing assignment, he was the first to finish.  Bill was very impressed when Billy read his writing aloud.  This was a kid who would be going places. 

——————————————————————————

Before the closing bell, there was an announcement over the PA system that the cross country team was to meet in Laura’s classroom.  All of Laura’s students left the room, except Billy.

“Ms. Roslin?”

“Yes, Billy?”

“There’s no late bus today.  My parents won’t be able to get me till—“

“We’ll take you home.  It’s okay.” 

“Thanks, Ms. R.”

The three of them sat waiting for the team to show up.  Bill could see Laura tensing. “You okay?”

“I’ve never coached before.”

“Good thing you have a great assistant.” He smirked. “You’ll be great at this, just like everything else.”

Laura nodded. “Fake it till you make it, right?”

“Roll the hard six.”

The first person to enter was a surprise, although it shouldn’t have been.

“Starbuck?!”

“You did it, Ms. R! I can’t believe it!  You saved the team.”

For a minute there, Bill thought Starbuck was going to hug Laura.  Instead, she high fived Laura and took a seat.

“Are you on the team?” Bill asked.

Starbuck rolled her eyes.  “Yeah, no.  I’m just here to support Sam and Zak.”

“My son’s on the team?”

Kara shot Bill a look.  “You really need to talk to your kid more.”

“Working on it,” he muttered.  He couldn’t deny Kara was right, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being called on it.

He listened as Laura said, “He just retired.  He hasn’t been here long.”

“Long enough to hook up with you.”

“Starbuck!”

Bill put up his hand.  “No. She’s right.  I haven’t been a good father.  But I’m here now.  It’s a great time for father son bonding.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Bill was mad—but he was also glad his son had a friend willing to take up for him against his own father.  Kara had a lot of character.  He understood why Laura cared for her so much.  They were very different women, but they both made Bill want to be a better person. 

————————————————

“Dad?!” Zak said as he walked in.  He was clearly shocked.  Bill looked at his son.  He looked great. 

“Hi Zak.  What ya doing here?”

“Um. I go to school here. What about you, dad?”

“It’s a long story.  I’m so happy to see you.”

Zak gave his dad a big hug.  “Are you coaching the team or something?”

Bill nodded.  “I’m the assistant coach.  Ms. Roslin’s the head coach.”

“How’d you end up here?”

He was about to answer when Laura cut in, “It’s kind of a long story, like your father said.  Are you free tonight?  Can you join us for dinner?”

He watched his son’s eyebrows raise at “us” and “dinner.” Zak was sharp like his father and grandfather.  The boy already understood their relationship.  Then, he smiled.  “Of course, Ms. Roslin.  I’d love to have dinner with you both.”

Bill hoped they didn’t pick any one else up throughout the course of their team meeting.  They didn’t have much room in the Sunfire; they’d have to take the Galactica from now on.  He also thought about Billy and Kara.  Maybe they’d want to have dinner with them too. 

—————————————————————————

Kara ran to the door as two young men walked in. She hugged them both.  One had a crew cut. The other had thicker longer hair.  Like Bill’s when he went on shore leave.

The one with longer hair said, “I thought this was a joke. How’d you do it, Kara?”

She shrugged.  “I have friends in high places. Sammy, Karl, this is Ms. R, and this is Bill Adama, Zak’s dad.”

“You’re the coaches?” Sam (the one with longer hair, as Bill noted) asked.

Laura nodded.  “You must be Sam Anders.  I haven’t had the pleasure.”

Sam offered his hand. “No, ma’am.  Thank you for saving our team.”

Karl nodded his appreciation.  “It was very good of you to do that, Ms. R, Mr. Adama.”

Laura smiled. “You’re all welcome. Let’s have a good season.”

Everyone sat down. The pair of coaches waited for the rest to trickle in.  “How many are there on the team?” Laura asked.

Sam smiled.  “This is it.  We’re gonna have to do some recruiting.”

Laura nodded. “We need five, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Karl said.

She looked over at Billy.  “How about a promotion?”

Billy nodded.  From the smile on his face, Bill knew no one had ever asked him to join a team before.  “I’ve never run before.”

She smiled.  “That’s okay.  I’ve never coached before.”

Sam clapped Billy on the back.  “Don’t worry, there’s nothing to it.  You’ll be in great shape by the end of the season.”

With the addition of Billy, that brought their number to four.  They would still be disqualified from any meets.  Just then, the classroom door opened.  They looked to see a young man with curly dark hair and a dark complexion.

“Is this the cross country team meeting?” The newcomer asked.

Laura nodded. “I’m Coach Roslin, and you may have just saved the team.”

He smiled, shaking Laura’s hand.  “Felix Gaeta, at your service.”

“Have a seat with the others, Felix.”

—————————————————————————

For the next twenty minutes, Bill listened as everyone interacted.  She elected Sam as team captain.  Bill could tell she already held the young man in high regard.  Kara volunteered to serve as the team manager, rolling her eyes and saying she’d always gone to their stupid meets anyway.  Laura graciously thanked Starbuck for her sacrifice. 

The young men stayed quiet for the most part, but Bill could tell they were paying attention.  Bill looked at each one.  Karl, Zak, and Sam were definitely competitive runners.  They’d do great.  Felix would probably be a surprise contender:  he didn’t look like much, but Bill knew from his Navy experience that scrawny guys could make fast runners.  Billy’s progress would be the morale booster.  The kid had never run a mile in his life, but he’d practice and strive to improve each day.  Bill suspected Laura would want to train with Billy—likely dragging him along.

“Okay, everybody.  It was nice to meet you.  We’ll meet by the track tomorrow at 2:30,” Laura said.

Sam and Karl gave Laura their respects before walking out, asking Kara if she was joining them. 

Kara shook her head.  “I want to talk to Ms. R.”

Felix shook Laura’s hand, then Bill’s.  Bill could tell he was a good kid and eager to please.

Billy stayed:  Laura and Bill were his ride home.  They were supposed to take Zak to dinner, and Kara wanted to stick around—maybe join them as well.

“Okay, folks, Mr. Adama and I have to take Billy home.  Then we’ll go to dinner with Zak—“

Zak turned to Billy, “Would you like to join us, kid?” Then he turned to Kara, “I’m assuming you’ll be there.”

Kara smirked. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Billy nodded. “Thanks.  I just have to tell my parents.”

Bill watched the interplay, as Zak smiled at Billy, then at Laura and him.  He beamed at his son.  Zak was a good kid.  He looked over at Laura.  She was clearly happy too.

“Well, alright.  Call your parents, Billy, and we’ll figure out what we’re doing,” Laura said.

Billy walked to the door with his cell phone.  Zak looked at his father.  “You haven’t said much today, Dad.”

Bill smiled.  “The lady’s in charge.”

Zak shrugged and smiled.    
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/107924.html)

  



	13. Taking the Kids to Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Laura and Bill take the kids to dinner after their cross country meeting.  They learn more about the kids, especially Kara and Zak.

Title: Taking the Kids to Dinner  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~3,300  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary:  Laura and Bill take the kids to dinner after their cross country meeting.  They learn more about the kids, especially Kara and Zak.  
Warning: Allusions to Kara's home life.  
A/N: This is the second of my three part (for now) arc in honor of [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) 's birthday.  
A/N2:  Thanks to [](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/profile)[**wicked_sassy**](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/) for the beta *hugs*  
A/N3:  This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


Laura led them all to her red Sunfire.  She knew it would be a tight squeeze, but she hoped they’d have fun anyway.  She still had fond memories of family trips, riding in the backseat between her sisters (she’d always been the referee, the peacekeeper).  They’d have the silliest talks, and their father could always get them to laugh.  One of her happiest memories was of her family being out to dinner and her father randomly making a marinara mustache to appease a sullen Cheryl.  It worked, and the whole table exploded in laughter. 

Of course, her little sedan was even smaller than the Roslin family car.  When she bought it five years ago, she thought it had more room than she needed.  Perhaps it was time to upgrade.  She did love her little car, although not as much as Bill loved his Galactica.

They walked across the parking lot.  Laura dug into her purse for her keys, unlocking the car with the remote.  She tossed Bill the keys.  They all stood around the car, each by a door.  Billy stood with Zak by the rear driver’s side.  Laura felt the need to apologize for the car’s size.  “Sorry, folks.  Next time we’ll have to bring the Galactica.”

“She knows about the Galactica, Dad?”

Laura nodded.  “It’s a great name for a fine car.”

Bill smiled, then winked at Zak.

“Where we eating?” Bill asked.

Starbuck wanted Italian.  Billy said he was fine with anything.  Zak wanted Chinese.  Bill looked at Laura.  “Looks like you’re the tie breaker, Coach.”

She snorted.  “No pressure, right?”  She weighed the options.  Thought about the people involved, and came to a decision. “Italian it is, then.”

Laura heard Billy’s sigh of relief.  She’d made her decision with him in mind.  He'd once told her that Chinese didn’t sit well with him.  It was one of many examples of random things she’d learned about her students.  She didn’t know how she remembered that particular fact, but she was glad for it.  Contributing to gut rot would not sit well with her. 

She hoped Zak enjoyed Italian, but she suspected he was happy to keep everyone else happy.  He seemed like a great kid, and he was nice to Billy, so that made him okay in Laura’s book.

Billy had a difficult time fitting in because of his age and intelligence.  He skipped several grades.  Laura wondered how he would get along with Kara, but she trusted that Kara would look after him.  Laura remembered how Kara had acted in her classroom.

That year, Laura had an ESL student who struggled deeply with the material.  Laura had spent hours tutoring the her.  But she still struggled throughout the year.  But Kara was there to help.  Laura will never forget the first time she saw Kara in action.

_She was writing on the blackboard.  Years of training, taught her to listen to what was going on behind her._

_Bianca was struggling to understand what was written on the board.  Laura could hear the distress in her voice.  She was preparing to address that concern--and everyone else’s. But then she heard a second voice._

_“You got this, Bianca.  These words are from the book we’re reading.  Get out your dictionary, and you can look them up.”_

_They worked together a lot after that, and Bianca had a much smoother year._

Laura had never talked to Kara about her actions with Bianca.  She suspected it wasn’t something Kara wanted acknowledged.  Kara did the right thing when no one was looking.  Having someone acknowledge it, would ruin it for Kara. 

It took a lot to win Kara’s trust and admiration; when Laura had done so, she felt it was a crowning achievement in her career.  Laura was glad for the extra time they'd have  working with the team together.  The less time Kara spent at home, the better.

“Okay.  We narrowed it down but we still gotta pick out a restaurant,” Bill said.

“Olive Garden,” Kara said instantly. “What?  I like that place,” she retorted after Zak snickered.

“Olive Garden, it is.”  Bill winked at her.  “I like it too.”

She rolled her eyes.  “Great.”

Even if she weren’t able to see Kara, Laura would have heard what she needed in Kara’s tone.  Bill would have his work cut out for him.  Laura couldn’t remember a time when she and Kara weren’t close; it just happened.  She could only hope Kara would recognize Bill was a good man.  She needed someone in her life who could teach her about discipline, integrity, and honor, and Bill was the best person for that.

They piled into the car.  With poor Billy taking the middle seat.  She hoped he wouldn’t be too cramped back there.  Bill started the car.  She watched him as he turned the key in the ignition.  She’d surprised herself by throwing him the keys.  She never let anyone else drive her car before.  But with passengers...she couldn’t explain it, but she felt more comfortable with him driving. 

Bill started the car perfectly.  Not that Laura had any doubts, but she was having trouble letting go.  He backed out of the parking spot, and they were off.  Laura relaxed in her seat. 

She listened as the kids started talking about school, the team, homework, and then segued into how much they hated Dr. Baltar.  Kara went on for a good ten minutes about his fake British accent:  “He’s from New York.  Okay?  There’s no reason for the accent.” 

Zak questioned the “Dr.” in his name:  “Ms. Roslin, does he really have a PhD?”

Laura nodded.  “He says he does.  It’s pretty hard to fake documentation like that on a resume or during the hiring process, especially in education.”

“But it’s been done, right?”  Kara asked.

“Sadly, yes.  But not in our school to the best of my knowledge.  Plus, many teachers don’t have beyond a bachelors.  There’d be no reason for him to lie about his credentials.”

“He still smells funny,” Zak said. 

They all laughed at that.  Even Billy, who was trying to be diplomatic, although Laura wasn’t fooled.  She knew the man had given Billy his first C .  She had looked very carefully at Billy’s project:  It was definitely ‘A’ work. 

This experience was surprisingly new for Laura.  When she had first started teaching, she did chaperone a few trips and dances, but once she took on more responsibilities--eventually becoming an administrator--her day to day involvement with students decreased greatly.  It was fun listening to students just being students again. 

She wondered how familiar it felt to Bill to be driving in a car with kids in the back seat.  He'd spent most of his kids’ childhoods at sea.  It was very possible there hadn’t been many family trips in the Galactica. 

She thought about how that decision might impact their lives.  It would be great motivation to finally get in shape.  She’d never been great about exercising and had been blessed with a body type that forgave her negligence.  Also, it was an opportunity to get to know the rest of the team. 

Aside from Kara and Billy, Laura really hadn’t spent much time with her students.  She was their teacher and administrator.  They didn’t seek her out, and she wasn’t aggressively friendly either.  Her new role as coach would change all of that for the five runners and Kara.

“You alright?” Bill asked. 

Laura smiled at him.  “Fine, Bill.  Just thinking.  This is nice.”

He smiled back.  “It is, isn’t it?”

——————————————————————————————

They arrived at Olive Garden .  The vast parking lot was virtually empty, as it was still early.  It wasn’t even four yet.  They piled out of the small car.  Poor Billy had been squashed in the middle seat.  His knees were up so high, they were almost in his face. Bill took Laura’s hand as they walked to the entrance, the three students behind them. 

The place was nearly empty and the hostess looked completely bored as she played with her cell phone at the podium.  Laura looked around.  There were a few people eating and only two servers walking around.  She cleared her throat and got the attention of the hostess. 

“Oh, hi!  Welcome to Olive Garden.  How many?”

“Five,” Bill said.

“Great.”  She grabbed five menus and gestured.  “If you’ll follow me, please.”

The hostess led them to a round table large enough to sit them all comfortably. Everyone sat down, Bill flanked by Zak and Laura, with Kara settling next to Zak and Billy next to Laura. The hostess gave out menus and took drink orders.  Laura smiled and thanked her.  The hostess went away, and Laura looked down at her menu.  “What’s good, Starbuck?”

Kara shrugged. “The lasagna’s okay.”

Laura knew better than to press.  She was grateful when Bill said he wanted Calamari.  Kara and Zak made disgusted faces,  Billy squirmed next to her.  Bill grinned at them. “Just kidding.”

“What do you really want, Bill?” Laura asked.

“That’s a loaded question.”

Laura blushed and lightly kicked his leg under the table.  He practically jumped out of his chair. 

Kara didn’t miss any of their exchange.  “Oh, you’re one of _those_ couples.”

“One of what couples?” Laura asked.

“You know.”

Laura stared at her blankly.  She wasn’t exactly sure where her young friend was going, but she doubted it would be good.

“Never mind.  I shouldn’t say.”

“Oh, now, I really want to know,” Zak said.

Kara glared at him.  “Forget it.  It’s stupid.”

“You brought it up, _Starbuck_.”

“Zak, that’s enough.”

“Dad!”

“No.  She doesn’t want to talk about it.  Let it go.”

“All right.  Let’s focus on ordering,” Laura said.  She realized it was her lot in life to be the referee and/or peacemaker.

She heard Billy let out a sigh of relief.  Laura knew he didn’t like conflict much.  He looked up at her and smiled.

An awkward silence permeated everyone at the table, and the menus suddenly became interesting.  The server came with drinks and asked if they were ready to order.  Bill ordered the lasagna.  “It comes highly recommended,” he said with a nod to Kara.

Kara rolled her eyes.  “Yeah, I’ll have the lasagna too.”

Zak ordered Spaghetti and meat sauce.  Kara commented about him getting something boring.  He told her to shut up.  Laura rubbed her temples. 

Billy and Laura both got Eggplant Parmesan.  Bill said hers was the best he’d ever had, and she’d be probably be disappointed.  She smiled at him.  The truth was, she ordered it most places she went.  It was among her favorite meals, and it was much easier to order a staple than to peruse a menu.  Bill was right, though:  Hers was the best.  Actually her mother’s was better, but with Judith gone, Laura’s was best by default.  Not that she was stuck on herself or her cooking.  She was actually her own worst critic--about every other meal.  She had what amounted to empirical evidence that her eggplant parm was the (second) best she’d ever had:  She’d made the comparisons over the course of several years.  So had her father and sisters.

Their dinner improved considerably after that.  The bread sticks and salads that began all meals at Olive Garden arrived , and they started eating.  By the time their entrees arrived, the awkwardness  had disappeared.  They’d be okay. 

—————————————————————————————

When they walked outside the restaurant, the sun was still out, but it was beginning to set.  Autumn was setting in.  They piled back in the car.  “Everyone good and full now?” Laura asked.

“You know it, Ms. R.  Thanks,” Kara said.

Billy and Zak echoed their thanks. 

“Thank Coach Adama.”

Kara gently punched Bill’s shoulder.  “You’re all right Old Man.”

Bill grinned at her through the rearview mirror.  “Right back at you, Starbuck.”

Laura smiled. 

They rode home, continuing their conversation about Dr. Baltar.  Laura supposed she should intervene against their derision, but she hadn’t done so earlier, so it would seem inconsistent.  She was anything but inconsistent, so...Plus, he wasn’t in her department at all.  The only reason she’d have to really deal with him was if he became the STEM department chairperson, which, sadly, was likely to happen--given his friendship with Richard.  She couldn’t think of a worse person for the job.  

They dropped Kara off at her house first.  The house was pitch-black--not even the porch light was on--It had gotten dark while they were driving.  There was no car in the driveway, but perhaps there was in the garage.  “Is your mother home?” Laura asked.

Kara shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Doesn’t matter.  I have a key.  Good night guys.”

Everyone said their goodbyes.  Kara exited the car, walking up her driveway.  Laura looked at Bill.  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. 

She nodded.  He understood, and it was comforting.  They waited until Kara unlocked her front door.  After she closed the door behind her, they continued  to wait. “She’ll put her porch light on,” Zak said.

“If she’s okay, you mean?” Laura asked.

“Yeah.  That’s what me, Sam, and Karl tell her to do when Sam takes us home.  That lets us know she’s in there safely, and we can go.”

“What if she doesn’t turn it on?” Bill asked.

“She always does.  But if she doesn’t, we’d wait a few minutes and then go in after her.  With our cell phones ready.”

They waited. 

Laura watched the clock in her console.

She counted. 

One one-thousand. 

Two one-thousand. 

Three one-thousand.

The porch light came on. 

Laura sighed her relief. 

Zak leaned forward toward the front seats.  “I’ll call her later.  Either me, Sam, or Karl call her every night.  It’s my turn tonight.”

Laura looked at Bill, then at Zak.  “That’s good, Zak.” 

It was very quiet in the car as they drove Billy and then Zak home.  Laura knew Billy was taking everything in.  Zak--and his friends--had been watching over Kara.  Laura wasn’t sure how she felt.  She felt a lot of things--mostly bad.  She needed to process.

Bill asked Billy where he lived.  His house was on the way to Zak’s house, so they headed there first. 

When they pulled up in Billy’s driveway, they saw Billy’s mother open the front door.  Mrs. Keikeya walked out of her house and stood on the front porch.  She waved at Laura.  Laura smiled and waved back.  Laura turned in her seat to face Billy.  “See you tomorrow.”  She smiled.  “I’m glad you’ll be on the team.”

“Thanks, Ms. Roslin.” He looked at Bill and Zak.  “Goodnight everyone.  Thanks for dinner.  It was fun.”

Bill wished him a goodnight.  Zak clapped him on the back.  “Welcome to the team, kid.”

Laura watched Billy’s face light up.  Then he exited the car. 

“Thank you, Zak,” Laura said.

“What for, Coach?”

“Just...thanks.”

“Oh.  No problem.” 

She wasn’t sure if he understood what he’d done or why she was so grateful to him.  But she was sure he’d keep doing it.  He was a good kid.

Bill backed out of the Keikeyas’ driveway and headed in the direction of Zak’s house.  “How ya doin’ Zak?  I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“I’ve been good, dad.” He paused.  “Great really.”

“Yeah?  You like cross country?”

“Oh yeah.  I was on the team last year.  Made varsity.”

“That’s great, son.  You have nice friends?”

“Just the guys on the team and Kara.”

Bill nodded.  “Friends are important.  Having each other’s backs.”

Laura sensed Bill had questions he wasn’t asking.  She had some of her own, but she needed to think carefully before proceeding. 

They pulled into Zak’s driveway.  Laura said it was nice to meet him, and he reciprocated.  He shook Bill’s hand and exited the car, waving at both of them as he approached his front door. 

Laura waved back.  Then she turned to Bill.  “Is it hard watching him enter the house you once lived in?”

Bill nodded.  “It is.”

She put her hand on his arm.  “Let’s go home.”

\--------------------------------------

“You’re awful quiet.”

“Hmm.  Just thinking.”

“About Starbuck?”

She nodded.  “Yeah.”

“How bad is it?”

She let out a sigh.  “I don’t know, Bill.”

“Have you..um...I’m not sure of the protocol, but--”

“I have, yes.”

“What can we do?”

It had been a long time since she was so relieved to hear ‘we.’  She put her hand on his arm.  “Give her a safe place to talk.  Wait.  Be ready to act.”

He squeezed her hand with the one not on the wheel.  “Sure you weren’t in the military?”

They rode in silence after that.

\-----------------------------------------------------

When they returned to Laura’s condo, she went into the living room, saying she had something she needed to do.  He nodded.  She gave him a small smile and sat on the sofa. 

She got out her e-reader.  If she were going to be coaching, she needed to know something about the sport.  She found and purchased a book and started reading.

“What ya reading?” Bill asked. 

He stood behind the sofa, his head close to hers.  She hadn’t been reading long, maybe fifteen minutes.  She turned to face him.  “A book about coaching cross country.  It’s not great, but it’s the best I could do on short notice.”

He nodded.  “Maybe I should read it, too.”

She smirked.  “I could just tell you the important things.”

“Even better.  I’ll let you get to it, Coach R.”

“Oh no,” she moaned.  “Is that my new epithet?”

He shrugged.  “We’ll see what Starbuck decides.”

He started to leave the room. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, stopping him.

“I was gonna get my book so I could read with you.”

She smiled.  “That would be nice.”

He left the room.  She turned her attention back to the e-book.  It was poorly written, and she was distracted by the sentence errors.  The negligible amount she'd spent on it was regrettable, and it wasn’t particularly informative either. 

Bill returned, sitting next to her on the sofa.  His book--a real one, as he had no fondness for technology--in his hands.  She peeked at the title of it.  _Robinson Crusoe_.  She wondered about that choice.  Laura was mostly an Americanist, but she did have a general understanding of British and world literature.  It had been years since she’d read _Crusoe_ , though. 

“I thought you were supposed to be reading,” he said.

She knew he was teasing.  “This book is soooo bad, Bill.”  She paused for effect.  “And your book looks much more interesting.”

“Want me to read some to you?”

She nodded, powering down her e-reader.  She’d consult Sam—he was team captain, after all.  He’d show her and Bill the course, explain the typical workouts, and how the meets worked.  What she couldn’t learn from Sam, she would figure out for herself. 

He cleared his throat and began reading:

“ _In the middle of these cogitations, apprehensions, and reflections, it came into my thoughts one day, that all this might be a mere chimera of my own, and that this foot might be the print of my own foot, when I came on shore from my boat.  This cheered me up a little too, and I began to persuade myself it was all a delusion; that it was nothing else but my own foot; and why might not I come that way from the boat, as well as I was going that way to the boat?”_

Laura rested her head against his chest as he read.  She thought about the words he was reading.  Was Bill trying to tell her something--or himself--or was it just a book he’d decided to read? 

“Comfortable?” he asked.

She hummed her response. “Why _Crusoe_?”

“I was in the mood for it.” He paused.  “It was always my favorite book growing up.”  He stroked her hair.  “Ready for bed?”

She nodded.  With great discipline, she pulled herself away from Bill.  Getting off the sofa.  She offered him a hand to help him up. 

“Let’s go.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/109390.html)

  



	14. Fake it til you Make it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Bill and Laura coach their first practice...

Title: Fake it til you Make it  
Rating: T+  
Word Count: ~2700  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary:  Bill and Laura coach their first practice...  
A/N: Part three of three (for now) of the cross country (team) arc in honor of [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) 's birthday.  
A/N2: Thanks to [](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/profile)[**wicked_sassy**](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/) for the beta.  *hugs*  
A/N3: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


“Wake up, Coach.”

“Hmm?”

“We gotta go to school.”  He kissed her ear.  “Don’t wanna be late.”

She opened her eyes.  “Okay, I’m up.”

“I’ll put the coffee on, you get ready.”

She nodded sleepily. 

A minute later she heard the coffee grinder.  She got out of bed and gathered her outfit for the day.  She also packed workout gear for practice.  Her running shoes had seen better days.  They were left over from when she started jogging when her mother had gotten sick.  They were out of style and worn out.  She’d need to go shopping soon. 

She started the shower, disrobing after the water was warm enough.  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the water falling on her.  Then she picked up the soap and worked up a lather as she thought about her new responsibility.  Maybe she’d have time for some quick internet research. 

As she washed her hair, she heard footsteps in the bathroom. 

“Laura, I’m comin’ in.”

That sounded good. “Okay.”

He stepped in behind her.  Then she felt his fingers in her hair. “Hi. Figured this would save time.”

“Hmm, in theory.”

“Oh no, Coach.  No time for that.  We have a tight schedule to maintain.”

“Cockblock.”

“Don’t blame me.”

He had a point there.  “Well then, wash my hair,” she laughed.

He did as told, working the shampoo into a cloud of suds and massaging her scalp.  It felt so much better than when she did it.   They finished their leisurely shower together, helping each other soap up and rinse off.

When they were both clean, dry and dressed, Bill fixed their coffees.  They ate a quick breakfast together before heading to school in the Galactica.

———————————————————————————

Laura liked riding in the Galactica.  She felt safe in a way she didn’t in her  car.  It had a smooth ride, like they were floating.  It was perfect for Bill--and her.

They pulled into the school’s main parking lot entrance.  He approached the back row.  He pointed to the one she’d parked in--her spot.  “That one, right?” 

“Yes.” 

It was the perfect parking spot because it was in the back row, and in the spot to the right was a streetlight surrounded by a concrete slab, which meant no one could park there.  It was rare that anyone parked on the other side, but that didn’t matter so much.  The buffer on the right side was good enough.

They walked across the parking lot.  It was getting chilly in the mornings.  Dark too.  She’d need to get out her coat soon. 

Once inside,  Laura noticed Bill lacked his consternation from the previous morning. 

“Good morning, Laura.”

Just like that, there was a new wrinkle.  Laura turned to face her boss.  “Good morning, Richard.”

“I heard you’ve taken on coaching responsibilities for the cross country team.  Aren’t you worried about overextending yourself?”

Oh, she bet he was worried.  He was always asking questions like that.  “Don’t worry, Richard.  I can handle it.”

“I’m sure.  You always do.” He smiled his false smile; she was the only one who seemed to see it for what it was, though.  “And who is this?” he asked, gesturing to Bill standing next to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Laura saw Bill’s posture go from relaxed to stiffly  upright. “I’m the assistant coach, Bill Adama.”

“Right, the retired Navy Commander.  Nice to meet you. I’m Richard Adar.”  He looked back at Laura.  “I’ll talk to you later.  Administrators’ meeting is coming up.”

“I look forward to it.”

Richard slinked back towards his office.  Laura grabbed Bill’s hand, practically dragging him in the other direction.

“So your boss is a prick.”

He understood the thinly veiled threats, the lack of support--the wonderful leadership style of Richard Adar.  “You sound like Starbuck.”

“She doesn’t like him either, huh?”

“Not him, the vice principal, none of the counselors.  Nope.”

“But she adores you.”

Laura nodded. 

When they got to her office, she sat at her desk and powered up her computer.  The computer started quickly for once; that, plus Bill’s presence, helped dissipate her foul mood.  She searched “cross country running” and “cross country coaching tips” and came up with some promising results.  She might be able to pull this off.

——————————————————————————————

After the 9 th period ended, the PA announced Laura Roslin was the new Lexington High School coach for the Colonial Runners.  Everyone in her class let out a little whoop, before exiting. 

Laura headed to the gym with Bill and Billy.  “Ready, Coach?” Billy asked. 

She nodded.  “I think so.  I may need some help.”

“Whatever you need, Ms. Roslin.”

She smiled at her favorite student.  “I know I can count on you.”

Laura stopped in the faculty women’s restroom and changed into her running shoes.  She made a mental note to make sure Billy had proper footwear.  Bill and Billy were outside the door waiting for her when she emerged and they walked out together to the track.

Kara, Sam, Karl, Zak, and Felix were already there, the teammates in a circle,  Kara standing against a gate.  Seeing the newcomers, Sam called out to them.  “Hey, Billy. Come line up with us.” 

As they approached, Laura said, “Thanks for getting them out here, Sam.”

He smiled.  “No problem, Coach.  That’s what the captain is for.”

Laura nodded.  “You’ll warm them up?”

“Yeah.  Two laps around the track, and then we’ll stretch.”

“Good.  Do that.” 

“And what about Billy?” he asked.

“You think one lap would be better?”

Sam nodded. “For now, yeah.”

“They’re all yours, Mr. Anders.”  She smiled gratefully. He was a good choice for team captain.

Sam got everyone’s attention and started them on their laps.  He gently took Billy aside.  “You’re just getting started, so take it easy, okay? Don’t want you getting hurt. Just one lap today.”

Billy nodded.  He was such an agreeable kid.  Laura, Bill, and Kara stood and watched the team run.  Laura was glad to see Billy keeping up with the others.  After Billy took his lap, he stood to the side with the coaches and smiled.  “Having fun?” Laura asked.

He nodded shyly. 

Kara patted him on the back.  “You may just be our secret weapon.”

He blushed and looked down, smiling.  She told him to start stretching while they waited. 

Across the track,  Sam was leading a team chant.  “He’s keeping cadence,” Bill said.  He sounded impressed with their captain. 

The team returned to the football field in the center of the track and followed Sam through their stretches.  Laura paid careful attention to their technique and Sam’s instructions.  Then Sam came over to chat with her.  “What do you have in mind for us today?”

“I was thinking we have two new runners and two new coaches who need to learn the course.  We shouldn’t overexert them, right?” Sam nodded in agreement. She continued, “What if we split the team into two workouts?  We have several weeks before our first meet and should probably work on conditioning.  Where do you go when you have a long run?”

Sam smiled and pointed.  “See that bike trail?” Laura  nodded, then faced him again.  “It goes across town for three miles.  We usually go up and back on long run days.”

Laura nodded again.  “That’s perfect.  Who should lead us through the course?”

Sam gestured to Karl.  He called for his teammate.  “Hey man, I need you to lead them through the course, alright?”

“Sure.” He smiled kindly.  “I think you’ll like it, Coach.  It’s a very nice run.”

Laura returned the smile.  “I’m sure.  Thank you, Karl.”

“Aren’t you guys forgetting something?” Kara interjected.

“What, Starbuck?” Laura asked.

“Someone needs to keep Sam and Zak in check.”

Laura smirked.  She really didn’t think that would be a problem, but she knew Kara’s number.  “I suppose.”

“I volunteer for the task.”

“Go for it, Kara.”  Laura didn’t understand why Kara wouldn’t just join the team, but she supposed there must be some reason.

The three of them took off.  Laura shook her head and  Bill patted her arm.  “They’ll be fine.  They’re good kids.”

She nodded and turned to Karl.  “We’re all yours, Mr. Agathon.”

————————————————————————

Karl led them to the official starting line.  It was invisible at the moment--He said they had to paint it for their home meets, especially if they hosted any of the county, tri-county, or state meets.  They had hosted a number of the larger meets in the past.  She added that to the list of things to look into.

The starting line was against the fence that enclosed all of the athletic fields.  It was near the field hockey practice area, Karl said.  He mentioned they occasionally shared the course, track, and fence (fence laps) with the field hockey team.   

He showed them where the top of the fence had a yellow cover on it.  The starting line was where the cover began.  Karl looked at everyone.  “Ready?”

They all nodded, and Laura said, “Let’s go.”

He started them at an easy pace.  Laura settled into the jog.  Over his shoulder, Karl said they’d just follow the fence for about a quarter of a mile--the perimeter of the fence was a full mile.  He talked about how fence laps were great for some workouts, particularly what he described as sprint-jogs, which Laura guessed meant alternating speeds. 

Karl was right about the course:  It made for a pleasant run.  Laura wasn’t sure if Bill would agree, though.  He hung back.  Laura could hear his heavy breathing and footsteps from several yards away.  Running really wasn’t for him. 

Not that Laura wasn’t struggling.  It had been a long time since she’d exercised at all.  Although, that didn’t matter so much.  According to every site she looked at, it takes 30 days of not running to lose 100% conditioning.  That put her, Billy, Felix, and Bill on equal footing.  Billy and Felix stayed right behind Karl.  Laura was near them, and Bill brought up the rear. 

She looked down at Billy’s and Felix’s feet.  It looked like they were both wearing running shoes.  She’d follow up with Sam about them after practice.  She wanted her team to avoid blisters at all costs.

They were coming up on the opening at the gate, which led to another field, where the adjoining middle school held practices and games for their intramural sports.  Karl led them through the gate, and had them turn right, up a small hill, where there was a path.  It was shady under the trees, and the leaves were just starting to turn.  There was an assortment of greens, yellows, and oranges, and even some reds. 

When they got to the end of the path, which led to Clayton Road, Karl had them turn left, keeping to the grass path under the trees.  When they came to the bike trail, they turned left onto it.  Running on the black top was much harsher on her feet and knees than the grass had been.  The soles of her shoes were pretty worn down.  She definitely needed to buy new ones. 

She looked at Billy and Felix.  They seemed to be doing fine.  She looked over her shoulder at Bill.  He was struggling.  His hand on his right knee.  “You alright?”

He nodded.  “I was better on the grass.”

She nodded.  Then faced in front of her.  “Karl, Coach Adama and I are gonna run in the grass on the side.”

He looked at them over his shoulder and smiled.  “Sometimes I do that too.”

Karl instructed them to stay on the bike trail for half a mile, then turn left into a wooded trail.  It was easy to miss, though.  Laura slowed her pace slightly, so Bill could catch up.  The trail was narrow, so it was difficult for runners to remain side-by-side.  That would make passing difficult during a race.  Her mind immediately started working out some strategies.  She had a lot to talk about. 

Bill caught up to her, remaining close behind.  “We should mark up that entrance,” he said.

She nodded, still concentrating on her jogging.  There were a lot of branches and tree roots on the ground to be careful of.  But in the back of her mind, she was pleased with his assessment.  “You okay?”

“Yeah.  I’m just not used to running.  Boxing’s more my thing.”

“Really?  I love boxing.”

“You’re full of surprises.”  He paused to catch his breath.  She realized she’d picked up her pace slightly, and he was trying to keep with her.  She readjusted her pace.  “It would be hard to pass someone in here.”

She turned to smile at him.  “I might have some ideas about that.”

He grinned.  She faced forward--just in time to see a stump.  It would have tripped her for sure.  She successfully avoided it.  “Watch your step, Bill.”

“Got it, thanks.”

When they came out the other side of the path, Karl led them around the perimeter of the parking lot to another wooded trail with a few hills and some sand.  Both were challenging for runners, Laura had learned.  It was perfect for building the team’s strength.  As they went down the last hill, Karl called out that they were at the home stretch. 

He led them out of the wooded trail and back to the track where they’d started.  The others weren’t finished yet since they were running twice as far, so Karl led them through warm-down stretches while they waited for Sam, Zak, and Kara.

Laura watched Felix and Billy interact.  She knew the two intelligent students had become friends.   Felix preferred maths and sciences, while Billy was more rounded, with a preference for liberal arts.  They enjoyed similar video games, though.  She was happy for Billy to have found a friend.  Listening to him talk about something not school related was refreshing. 

Billy turned to Laura.  “When’s our next test?”

Laura shook her head in consternation.  “Considering half the class thinks Mrs. Mallard loved her husband and that’s why she died, I don’t think we’re ready for a test for a while.”

Billy smirked in response. “Really?  How are they getting that?”

She shrugged.  “Your guess is as good as mine.”  Laura was truly shocked by the essays on “Story of an Hour.”  She’d never seen a class get that story wrong before--maybe a student or two but never so many.  She’d need to reconsider her teaching of the story.  It would likely appear on the AP exam.

They idly chatted a while longer, and then Laura heard what sounded like three wild animals charging.  Rising above the sound was the cackle she knew was Kara’s laugh.  

Sam led everyone through stretches, then Laura dismissed them for the day.  Of course, she and Bill had to take Billy, Kara, and Zak home.

After they finished changing, the smaller group met at the front entrance of the school and walked to the Galactica.  “This is a nice ride for an old car, Mr. A.”

“Thanks, Starbuck. She’s a good girl.”

Zak whispered loudly that his father was really devoted to his car.

Laura smiled, listening to the exchanges. 

They dropped Kara off first, much as they knew she didn’t want to get out of the car.  There wasn’t much they could do about it.  Laura vowed she’d pay attention.  If she could help Kara, she would.  At least the porch light was on that night.  Laura always hated walking home to a dark house.  Watching Kara do it the night before had made her very uneasy.

Then they took Zak to his mother’s house.  He didn’t seem too willing to go home, either.  She’d ask Bill about that later.

Finally, it was Billy’s turn.  Laura knew the Keikeyas were a wonderful family.  Although his older sisters probably tortured him, it didn’t matter.  Billy was happy to go home. 

After Billy exited the car, she turned to Bill. “Last stop?”

Bill nodded.  “Ready for a long shower and a good meal.”

She smiled at him.  “You know, there are a lot of benefits to running.”

“I look forward to discovering them, Coach,” he said as he drove them home.   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/86773.html)

  



	15. Feeling Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Set sometime between the yet-to-be-concluded "[Take your Commander to Work Day](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/68697.html)" installments and "[The Trilogy](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/37241.html)"

Title: Feeling Good  
Word Count: ~1100  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary:  Set sometime between the yet-to-be-concluded "[Take your Commander to Work Day](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/68697.html)" installments and "[The Trilogy](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/37241.html)"  
Bill returns to Laura's condo after spending the afternoon unpacking at his apartment.  There's gawking, an argument, cooking lessons, sexytimes, and a grammar lesson.  
A/N: This is part of an open verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."

  


Bill had spent the afternoon at his apartment.  He hadn’t had much opportunity to unpack since he had moved in nearly a week ago.  Not that he minded.  Time spent with Laura, was time spent well. Or was it spent good?  He couldn’t remember which.  He’d ask Laura later.  He just knew that he enjoyed being with her, and he wasn’t enjoying being in his apartment, not without her anyway.  After several hours, Bill had made the headway he wanted, and was ready to go home to Laura. 

When he arrived at her condo, Bill walked right in through the front door, much to his chagrin.  Anyone could have gotten in.

Bill found Laura in the kitchen preparing their dinner.  He stood in place, watching her move.  Having spent a lot of time in and around boxing rings, Bill knew grace when he saw it.  And Laura Roslin had enough of it to spare.  The sight was almost enough to damper his frustration over the door.  Almost.

“How’d you make out?” she asked without turning around.

“Good.  And how’d you know I wasn’t a murderer?”

Bill’s voice had the tone of a commanding officer.  That wasn’t going to fly with Laura.  They had talked about this before:  She felt perfectly safe in her home. She didn’t know why Bill couldn’t grasp that.  She put the knife down and turned around to face him.  She wore her strictest teacher face to let Bill know he was in for it.  For his part, Bill realized it as soon as she put the knife down.  “You gonna lecture me about leaving the door open, Bill?”

He sighed.  “I just wish you’d be mindful of your safety.”

“I knew it was you, okay?”

“How?”

“I heard your footsteps walking in here.  And…”

“And what?”

“ _And_ I could _feel_ you gawking at me.”

“You don’t think a killer would gawk?”

“Probably not as long as you.” Her stern face wasn’t enough to disguise the mirth in her voice.

Bill sensed he wasn’t in trouble anymore.  He grinned and said, “What can I say?  I enjoy looking at you.” 

All semblance of anger had disappeared from her face. “Come here, soldier.” 

He knew better than to keep Laura waiting.  When Laura issued a command, she expected it to be followed, immediately.  She’d make a hell of an officer, probably a Rear Admiral.  Bill marched double time to his superior officer.  When he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him.  Laura made no effort to resist him. 

“Hi,” she said.

“I like this.”

“Hmm.  Me too.”

“What can I do?”

“I thought that would be obvious by now.” She smirked.

Bill smiled but said, “I meant with dinner.”

“You can help me chop the vegetables.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

There was only one knife suitable for the task, which meant they had to share it.  Bill stood behind Laura, and they worked together, holding the knife and chopping the vegetables.  It would have gone much faster if only one of them did it, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.

Bill held Laura’s hands as she worked.  His entire body was pressed against her back.  His nose buried in her hair. 

Laura struggled to concentrate on her potentially dangerous task.  She managed, though.  Her singular focus had always been one of her greatest strengths/weaknesses.

When they were finished, Laura put the knife down.  Bill asked, “What next?” 

“Later.  I can’t wait anymore.” 

That sounded good to him.  “Where?”

“Bed.”

“Let’s go.”

Bill scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. 

“Aren’t you tired?” Laura asked in protest.

“Not for this, for you.”

“To carry me?”

Bill smiled down at her.  “I enjoy it.”

Laura couldn’t argue with that.  The man had certain caveman tendencies she’d have to get used to:  The proclivity to carry her to bed seemed to be one of them. 

Once they were in the bedroom, he deposited her on the bed and climbed on top of her.  Bill gazed at her face, focusing on her lips.  He’d been home for nearly twenty minutes and they hadn’t even kissed yet.  Not that he was complaining about what had passed between them in that space of time, but it was time to correct the deficiency. 

“You’re so beautiful.”

“I—“

Bill cut her off with a kiss.  He’d have to find a way to prove it to her.  Kissing her senseless would have to work in the meantime.  Laura wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her.  The position made it impossible for him to do much besides continue kissing her, but he was in no hurry.  They had all night.

—————————————————

An hour later, they were back in the kitchen finishing dinner.  Laura was in her robe.  Bill wore his jeans and tanks.  Laura decided she liked that look on her retired Commander.  The look brought out all of his best assets, particularly his arms. 

They continued Bill’s cooking lessons, as they prepared the meal.  They made what Laura called “The Sausage Thing,” which was a casserole of potatoes, red and green pepper, onions, and sausage.  It looked easy enough to Bill.  He made mental notes so he could make it for her some day. 

While the casserole was cooking, Bill and Laura sat at the table, talking.  She poured their sparkling water—it was something they’d been trying for the last few days:  Bill was trying to drink less, and Laura preferred not to drink at all since the Accident. 

“How are you, Laura?”

She raised her eyebrows.  “That’s kind of a strange question, don’t you think?”

His expression was earnest.  “Not really.” 

People asked Laura that question all the time, especially since the Accident.  Usually they didn’t care about her response.  Some people didn’t stick around long enough to hear it.  The question was a reflex; caring was not.  Laura knew that wasn’t the case with Bill.  “I’m good, Bill,” she said, and more important, she meant it.

“Don’t you mean ‘well?’”

“Nope.”

“But I thought—“

“I know.  Everyone does.”  Laura sighed.  Sometimes, knowledge could be a real pain.

“Why isn’t it ‘well?’”

“In this context, ‘well’ only refers to health.  As I am perfectly healthy and have been in recent history, ‘well’ is an inappropriate response.  ‘Good’ refers to my overall well-being, which is what you were asking about.”

“So, if you were recovering from the flu—“

“I’d say ‘well.’”

Bill contemplated the new information for awhile.  According to Laura, whom he trusted implicitly, a lot of people were wrong.

Laura sensed his consternation.  She smiled as she offered him an out.  “You could just say, ‘fine,’ Bill.  Then you’re always right.”

Bill smiled.  “Good idea.”

“How are you, Bill?”

“I’m good.  Very good.”

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/37241.html)


	16. The Trilogy

Title: The Trilogy  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
May the Fourth be with you!  
A/N: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"  
  


Laura was sitting at the desk in Bill’s apartment that he was kind enough to let her commandeer when she came to stay with him.  For the past week, they were splitting their time between her condo and his apartment.  And his apartment was becoming cluttered with her things.  His desk filled with her papers.  His shelves contained some of her books.  She didn’t have a toothbrush there, though; they were sharing his. 

She was grading papers at his desk and becoming frustrated.  Only Billy seemed to understand the concept of the quote sandwich.  She’d have to explain it yet again.  Maybe she’d let Bill give it a shot as well.  He was pretty good at explaining things, and it never receive information in different ways.  Anyway, she was just about to throw her hands up in frustration and possibly growl, when Bill disturbed her.

“We have a situation.”

“Oh no!  What’s wrong?”

“You’ve never seen the trilogy.”

“Damn it, Bill!  Don’t do that!  You know how jumpy I can get.”

“Sorry, Laura, but it’s a serious situation.”

“The trilogy?”

“It’s very important to me.”

“What trilogy are we talking about again?”

“Laura, there is only one trilogy that really matters--okay, maybe two, but this one was first.”

“Oh, the _Star Trek_ movies.”

“ _Star Wars.”_

“I don’t see the difference.”

“I’m going to ignore that for now.”

“So, how are we going to remedy the situation?”

“We’re going to sit down and watch it.”

“I have lots of papers to grade.”

“It’s Saturday, you have all day tomorrow.”

“Hmm.  I kind of had plans for tomorrow.”

“Plans?”

“Oh yeah.  It’s our one-week anniversary.”

“Technically, that was yesterday.”

“I know, but Sunday was a milestone for us.”

“Your definition of milestone is questionable.”

“Will you just, guh, I’m trying to get something out here.”

“By all means.”

“It’s been one week since I asked you to come to school with me.”

“Happy Anniversary.  I didn’t know you were sentimental.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s okay, I didn’t neither.”

“Tell me about your plans.”

“You’ll just have to be surprised, Commander.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.  I’ll be a good sport tomorrow, if you’ll be a good sport today.”

“And my work?”

“We’ll do it together.”

“How’s that?”

“I’ll read them to you, and you tell me what grade to write on them.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Bill.  I need to see them to make sure their commas are in the right places, and that sort of thing.”

“But you’ll know by how I read it.”

“Alright.  We’ll give it a shot.”

“Good.  Now get on this couch with me, and we’ll watch the trilogy.”

“Fine, but I want to know what I’m getting in to,” she said as she sat down next to him.

“You seriously know nothing about this?”

“Seriously.”

“Okay, a battle ensues between a struggling rebel alliance and an evil military dictatorship run by an emperor and his apprentice.  There’s a lot of mythology surrounding their religion. And a young man discovers his destiny.  It’s pretty great.”

“So, the good guys win?”

“Yeah. But things are pretty hairy there for a while.”

“Hmm.  Alright, put it on.”

“I love you.”

“It’s a little early for that, don’t you think?”

“Says the woman celebrating our one-week anniversary.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“I don’t know.  It just is.”

“I’ll rescind it, then.”

“Too late; it’s out there, buddy.”

“You don’t want it, but you don’t want me to take it back?”

“I didn’t say I don’t want it.  It’s just early, is all.”

“No woman has ever watched the trilogy with me before.  This makes you special.”

“You were testing us?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Nicely played.”

“Thank you.”

“Put the trilogy on, Commander.  You earned it.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/98333.html#cutid1)

  
  



	17. Wet Roads and Stupid Drivers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura wakes Bill up earlier than usual...

Title: Wet Roads and Stupid Drivers  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~300  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura wakes Bill up earlier than usual...  
A/N : Thanks to [](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/profile)[**wicked_sassy**](http://wicked-sassy.livejournal.com/) for super fast beta. *Hugs*  
A/N 2: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


Bill stirred.  He thought he heard movement in the bedroom, but he knew it was early yet.  After so many years in the Navy, his body was programmed to wake up at 0 Dark 30, and he knew he still had a half hour to go.  Then he felt lips on his forehead.  “Wake up, Bill.  We gotta go.”

He opened his eyes.  Laura was looking at him, ready to begin the day.  Figures he’d fall for the one woman who was an earlier riser than he.  But she sure was worth it.  “Why?”

“Wet roads and stupid drivers.”

He knew she was a very careful driver, especially after the accident.  He wondered for the hundredth time what she was like before.  He’d give anything to have known her a few months earlier—meet her family, get her father’s and sisters’ approval.  He knew not to mention it, though.  He took a different tact.  “Sounds like a Tom Waits song.”

It worked.  She started giggling.  Bill crooned, “Wet rooadds and stuupid drivers.”

Laura giggled even more.  “You sound just like him.”

He tried to look stern.  “That was my voice.”

Laura’s face fell.  “Oh.”

He sat up and reached for Laura, pinning her under him as he tickled her sides.  She got out “You stinker!” between giggle fits.  He kissed her.

“Mmm.  That’s nice.”

“Yeah.”

“We gotta go, though.”

“Yeah.” Was that all he could manage?

“We need to shower—together.”

Bill could see she was already moving on to the day ahead, thinking about wet roads from the early morning rain and the concentration of drivers going to work.  He kissed her forehead.  “Galactica’ll get us there, Laura.”

She smiled.  “I know she will, Bill.”  
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/164216.html)

  



	18. Billy's First Race

After the bell rang, Billy remained seated. As Laura packed up for the day, she saw out of the corner of her eye that he looked...stressed. “Is everything okay, Billy?”

He nodded. “I’m just nervous.” He grinned sheepishly. “My first race.”

She stopped packing and approached his desk. “It’s my first race too. And you know what? I’m nervous too.” She smiled. “But it’s okay. My mom used to say it’s good to be nervous; just don’t be scared.”

“What’s that mean, Ms. Roslin?” He clearly didn’t see the distinction.

“I didn’t get it either. And one time I was feeling very...mouthy, and I asked her.”

“What did she say?” 

He was too engrossed to remember the race at the moment. Good. “She said being nervous meant you were ready, and being scared meant you weren’t.”

He shrugged. “I guess I’m ready, then.”

She laughed. “Me too.” She gestured to her bag. “I have to finish in here. I’ll meet you at the track?”

He nodded. “Thanks, Ms. Roslin. Your mom must have been really smart like you.”

“She was. I think she was smarter than me. A better teacher too.”

Billy looked surprised. “I don’t see how that could be possible.” Then he gathered his books and headed for the door. “Bye, Coach.”

She was still smiling after he exited the room. Then she returned to her packing. She and Bill had a few last minute preparations to make before the guest team and the officials arrived. Bill had been walking through the course, marking the lines and arrows since that morning. She needed to coordinate with him. 

With her bag packed, she was ready to go. She said a silent ‘thank you’ to her mother and left the classroom.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They stood at the makeshift starting line by the yellow rubber tube that ran along the top of the gate. They were wearing their uniforms for the first time that season, and Billy felt like he...belonged. Even Kara stood at the sideline, wearing the team warm-up gear. Everyone knew better than to bring it up, but she was part of the team. And the coaches. Ms. Roslin had changed into the blue and white sweat suit that matched Mr. Adama’s. 

The other team had arrived wearing red and black uniforms. He was nervous about competing against their biggest rivals during the first meet of the season, but Coach Roslin had made it clear he wasn’t really competing with them but himself. Since it was his first race, all he needed to do was finish and set the time he would spend the rest of the season competing against. He could do that. 

Coach kept telling him he had runner’s legs. He wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but it sounded like a good thing. She said once he built up his endurance and strength, he’d be great, and the only way to do that was to practice. Then she smiled at him, and said there was no greater practice than during a race.

Then she told him a story about how nervous she’d been her first day of teaching, but that it had been good practice for her, and she’s improved so much her first year. She was a really good story teller. Her eyes lit up when she spoke, but sometimes he’d see a tear or two, like when she talked about her mother. He felt so...privileged during those moments. Like he got to see a side of Ms. R that not many others did. 

He was still nervous, but not as much, and she told him it was good he felt that way, so that made it...better. When he joined the team, he hadn’t really thought about uniforms and meets. It was more about getting to participate in something in the school. But then race day got closer and closer until everything was...real. And the officials were walking over to the starting line, wearing yellow jackets and hats. One of them held the starting pistol in the air. The sight of it brought back some of the nerves. 

The official holding the gun checked to make sure all the runners were behind the line. Then he said, “On your mark,” and fired the pistol. 

Then it was time to move. Ms. R had told him not to get carried away in the excitement. 

_“It’s an endurance race, Billy. Start at a pace you can maintain, and save more for the end.”_

He tried to follow that advice, and thought he did mostly, but he knew his legs went a bit faster than they normally would, maybe because he was racing and not practicing with his team. When his breathing got too fast, he knew he needed to slow down a bit, and he did as he ran through the opening at the other side of the gate. 

The runners were already breaking into packs, so when he got to the opening, he didn’t have to struggle past anyone else. Once through the gate, he was approaching his favorite part of the course, but first he had to get through the half-mile on the bike trail. Only he was going to veer off into the grass on the side because Ms. R had said it would be better on his knees and shins. 

There were a few runners behind him and more ahead of him, but he was learning to ignore them. This was _his_ run through the course, which he had grown to love since the start of the season. At the end of the half-mile he ran around the cone Coach Adama had placed in the middle of the bike trail. An official was standing there to make sure he didn’t trim even an inch off of the racing distance. Ms. R was there too, and she clapped his back as he went past her before entering the wooded trail.

The wooded trail was his favorite part; he knew where he could speed up and where he needed to slow down - on a few spots with tree roots sticking out of the ground. 

He made it through the trail in what felt like good time, and then he knew he was almost there. He ran around the perimeter of the high school, and into the next trail, which broke off from the neighboring park. 

When he was finally running through the front gate, which would lead to the finish line on the track, he picked up speed. There were only 400 meters left, and he knew he could do it. 

He crossed the line and his team was there with Kara and the coaches. The officials shouted a time at him, but he wasn’t paying attention. He suddenly realized how out of breath and exhausted he was, and he leaned against the railing on the side of the track. Coach Roslin approached him. “You okay? Need some water?”

He nodded gratefully, and she made sure he didn’t drink too much too quickly. Then she told him his time: 20:18. She smiled and said that was a fine time for the start of the season. He nodded. Maybe he managed a smile too, but it probably looked a bit...off. She seemed to understand anyway. 

The rest of the team came to him, congratulating him. Kara gave him a high five, and the guys each punched his shoulder. All things considered, he felt pretty good, and he certainly wasn’t nervous anymore.


	19.  The Necessity of Having a Spotter:  An Ikeaverse Installment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Kara learns there are benefits to having a spotter around... Or Kara and Helo in gym class...

Title:  The Necessity of Having a Spotter:  An Ikeaverse Installment  
Rating: T  
Characters:  Helo (Karl), Starbuck (Kara)  
Word Count: ~700  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary:  Kara learns there are benefits to having a spotter around... Or Kara and Helo in gym class...  
A/N: Written for [](http://kleenexcow.livejournal.com/profile)[**kleenexcow**](http://kleenexcow.livejournal.com/) for her successful completion of the pentathlon.  Great job, hon, and thanks for the prompt.  It was time to open the 'verse up to the other characters. :D :D :D

 

  


Kara was on the bench press, lifting the bar off her chest, when it started to slip.  It was her own fault.  She added too much weight and did too many reps.  That was why the gym teachers kept pushing for spotters.  Whoops.  She’d take that under advisement in the future.  In the meantime, how the fuck was she going to get out of this mess?

Then she felt the weight lift off of her.  There were now four hands on the bar.  She looked up to see Karl.  “Easy, Starbuck,” he said, in that soothing voice of his.  The one that made her feel like everything was okay—even when she knew it wasn’t.

Together, they returned the bar to its rack.  Kara sat up, and Karl moved next to her.  “You really should use a spotter, you know.”

She shot him a look.  Sure, he was a great guy, but he had that annoying tendency to say things like that—and be absolutely right.  “Are you volunteering?”

He grinned. “I could, sure.”

There were certain advantages to that arrangement.  His strength meant she could push  herself even harder without fear.  She nodded.  “That could work.”

“Okay.”  He shook his head.  “Why do I always find you alone?”

She rolled her eyes.  Was it her fault she was the only girl in the class who actually wanted to work out?  She didn’t have time for their drama.  Boyfriends, nail polish.  No thanks.  And the boys.  The boys had their own drama.  In fact, they were worse than girls in some ways.  She didn’t have time for that either.  Instead, Kara made up her own work out routine:  The bench press, crunches, pull ups, push ups, the lat pull down.  It would have been different if Zak and Sam were in her class, but neither of them were in her grade, so she was alone.  At least she was.  Karl was there now, and he didn’t seem to be leaving.  “What’s it to you?”

She knew that sounded harsh even to her own ears.  She was surprised to see him smile.  “That’s my Starbuck.”

“Right.  Well, if you’re gonna be my new spotter, let’s get to it.”

“Sure.”

He followed her as she moved to the pull up bar.  “You ready for tonight’s practice?”

She rolled her eyes.  “I don’t actually practice, remember?  Why wouldn’t I be ready?”

“Just small talk, Starbuck.”

“Right, _Helo_.”

He bristled.  She knew he was still getting used to the name.  The Old Man mentioned callsigns during practice the other night.  Apparently, the silly nickname Ms. R gave her was what the Old Man called a callsign.  After he revealed his had been “Husker,” Kara insisted Zak, Sam, and Karl get callsigns.  The way Billy remained perfectly silent and stood even closer to Ms. R than normal indicated that he wasn’t interested in having one. Felix said he liked being called Mr. Gaeta, so they all honored that. 

Sam was easy to name.  He was “Longshot” because of his skills on the basketball court.  Zak was “Hephaestus” because of the foot injury he’d sustained the year before, which the Old Man was clueless about.  She shook her head.  He was a good guy, and she tried to cut him some slack. 

She decided on “Helo” for Karl because of his sunny disposition.  She seriously never saw him in a bad mood.  It was unbelievable.  The Old Man said the name was short for helicopter, which also fit.  The guy was always hovering, ready to swoop in and “help” at anytime.  It was kind of annoying—even if she was happy to see him when he did.

He smiled.  “You know, I kind of like it.”

She lifted herself up, her chin above the bar.  Karl stood by.  A helicopter indeed.  She completed 10 reps.  Then the warning whistle blew.  It was time to change for next class.  She gave Helo a little punch in the arm.  “See you later.  And…”

He grinned. “I know.  Anytime, Starbuck.”

She nodded and turned to leave the weight room.   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/54389.html)

  



	20. Playing Hooky: An Ikeaverse Installment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's having a difficult anniversary and Bill strives to give her exactly what she needs. Meanwhile, Kara worries (although she won't admit it) about her favorite teacher...

Title: Playing Hooky: An Ikeaverse Installment  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~1250  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura's having a difficult anniversary and Bill strives to give her exactly what she needs. Meanwhile, Kara worries (although she won't admit it) about her favorite teacher...  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with ["Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/164216.html)."  
A/N2: For [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) just because.

Bill rolled over and kissed Laura’s shoulder. She moaned and leaned back against him, still asleep. He started to pull away so he could get up, but she leaned back further. “Don’t go. Not yet,” she said in that sleepy voice of hers.

“You should get up too, honey. School’s starting soon.”

She moaned. “Don’t wanna.”

He smiled. They’d had a late night, and Laura Roslin definitely wasn’t a morning person, especially when she’s tired. “You don’t want to miss Starbuck. Or Billy.”

Her devotion to her students, especially those two, would get her up, for sure. “I just don’t want to face them. Any of them.”

“Why, honey?”

She gave a noncommittal sound. Something between a hum and a moan. “It’s not a good day.”

He felt her forehead. Her temperature was normal. “You’re...you’re not sick are you?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s...the anniversary.”

Oh. He gave up on his quest to rouse her from the bed. He wasn’t sure which ‘anniversary’ it was--there were at least two. Maybe he’d get that from her later. In the meantime, he was gonna do exactly what the lady asked and stay there. He pulled her closer against him, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “We’re playing hooky today, Ms. Roslin.”

That time he knew exactly what the sound was. A very satisfied hum. He smiled and let his eyes close again. Playing hooky could be great for both of them.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kara was kicked out of Baltar’s class at exactly 8:15. She asked why his definition of chlorophyll didn’t match the one in the textbook--a totally legitimate question, right? He stuttered through some bull shit answer and pointed to the door. Kara hadn’t bothered unpacking her books in the first place, so she just put her bag on her back and left. 

She walked through the corridors to Ms. R’s office and knocked on the door. She’d started knocking when Ms. R. started dating The Old Man--not that she’d ever caught them doing PDA in school. They were much too smart and respectable for that, but she wanted to be respectful, or whatever. Ms. R. was cool about it too. She never brought it up or teased her about it. That wasn’t how they worked. The Old Man’s pretty cool too and really good to Ms. R. 

Ms. R. wouldn’t have minded being asked about her definition of a word either. She always said teachers were human and made mistakes like everyone else. 

There was no answer in the office. She checked her watch. They’d definitely be there by now. She knocked again. Nothing. She put her ear against the door. There wasn’t a sound. She put her hand on the knob and turned. It was locked. 

Where are they? She went to the one place she hated more than Baltar’s class--Vice Principal Zarek’s office.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He gave her that sneer. The one that said he knew everything she’d done. It was really creepy. “Miss Thrace, what brings you here?”

“Where’s Ms. Roslin?”

He smiled. “Why would you need to know that? She’s not your teacher this year.”

“She...we....She’s my favorite teacher at this stupid school, okay? Is she alright? She never misses school.”

He snorted. “Yes, the infallible Laura Roslin. She’s taking a personal day.” He gestured toward the door. “Why don’t you run along now. If I’m not mistaken, you should be in Dr. Baltar’s class. I’m sure you don’t want to miss his exciting lecture.”

She fought the urge to laugh. Was this guy for real? “Right. Yeah. Great. Thanks.” For nothing. 

If Ms. R was taking a personal day, there must be a good reason for it. Kara exited the office and walked to the staircase, exiting the building instead. She pulled out her cellphone and texted Karl. “OK. Checking on Coach.” 

He wouldn’t know what that meant, but at least he wouldn’t freak out when he saw she was gone later. 

Maybe she and Ms. R’d have a conversation about boundaries. Ms. R’d always been fond of those, but first Kara’d make sure The Old Lady--and The Old Man--were okay. 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

They were snuggling on the couch, watching “Downton Abbey.” Laura’d gotten him hooked on it. She didn’t care much for television and neither did he, but she gave the show a shot, and they ended up marathoning it over a weekend. It was the perfect show to watch as they played hooky. 

There was a knock on the door. He gently extracted himself from under her, so he could answer it. Quickly. Carson and Hughes were talking. He opened the door and was surprised although he probably shouldn’t have been. “Starbuck? Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

He smiled. “She’s fine, Kara. It’s...not a good day for her.”

She nodded. “But she’s okay? Not sick or anything?”

He shook his head. And stepped back so she could enter. “You can see for yourself.”

Kara ran into the living room, as Bill followed. “Cutting class, Ms. R? That’s so badass.”

“Hmm. I guess it is. And why aren’t you in school, young lady?”

Oh, oh. She never called Kara that. Bill got in position to referee. “I...you...you weren’t there. You’re always there.”

Laura smiled. She wouldn’t say anything for fear of embarrassing Kara, but she was touched. “I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise. In the meantime, Bill and I are gonna drive you back to school.”

“But--”

“No buts. If you miss, they’ll report you and call your mom.”

Kara nodded. 

“However, I find I’m in the mood to see a movie. What do you say we take the Colonial Runners to the movies?”

Kara smirked. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll text Karl.” 

Laura turned off the tv, threw the blanket off of her, and looked at Bill. “Ready, dear?”

He nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kara rode in the back of the Galactica. It was an old bucket of bolts, but she liked it. It was reliable. Kind of like The Old Man and Ms. R. She texted Karl. “Coach is fine. Tell the boys’ it’s movie night after school.”

She checked her watch. She missed the second class, but maybe Ms. R could pull some strings. She’d make it on time for third period. 

Bill pulled up to the curb, and Ms. R got out with Kara. “Laura?” Bill asked.

She smirked. “I’m gonna sign Kara in.”

Kara looked at her. “Thanks, Ms. R.”

The Old Lady smiled. “Just don’t do this again, Kara.” 

“I won’t if you don’t.”

Ms. Roslin put out her hand, and Kara shook it. “Deal.” 

They walked in together. Ms. Roslin snowed the secretaries with some story, and Kara headed to class, thinking about what movie she wanted to see.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“You sure you want to reward Kara for skipping school?”

They were sitting on the couch. They returned to the Carson and Hughes scene because that was their favorite. 

Laura shook her head. “I’m not rewarding Kara. I’m taking the team out, and she’s part of it. I miss them, Bill.”

“The Colonial Runners or your family?”

She frowned. “Both.”

He pulled her in for a hug. “Then let’s have a great time tonight.”

He wrapped the blanket around them and turned up the volume. The Dowager Countess was talking, and they didn’t want to miss a word.  
  
[Next Installment by the lovely ](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/25826.html) [ ](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile) [ **afrakaday** ](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) [. ](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/25826.html)   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/131886.html)


	21. Because Counseling's Expensive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime before "[Chain of Command](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/21768.html)."  Bill and Laura have their first fight since moving into their cabin a week prior.

Title: Because Counseling's Expensive  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~1100  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Set sometime before "[Chain of Command](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/21768.html)."  Bill and Laura have their first fight since moving into their cabin a week prior.  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

  


After the initial euphoria wore off, it wasn’t long before the couple had their first fight in their cabin.  Like most fights, it was over something silly.  In their case, it was over laundry. 

Before moving into the cabin together, Laura and Bill had maintained their separate residences, although they were together almost constantly.  Laura took care of her condo, and Bill took care of his apartment.  And they always did their own laundry.  So, they had no way of knowing what would happen in their cabin.

Laura had many wonderful strengths, but housekeeping wasn’t one of them.  Not that her condo had ever been messy, but she didn’t mind clutter.  And, if she left her clothes in the dryer too long, that wasn’t a big deal to her.  She could always fluff them later, if she needed to.  And folding; forget about it.  She had accepted the fact that some things weren’t meant to be folded, at least not by her.  And if wrinkles were really bad, she could iron.  So there was no reason for her to worry about laundry—she had much more important things to worry about, like Starbuck’s penchant for getting in trouble, or the state of the school and her department.  Laundry simply didn’t make it on her radar.

While the two were very similar in many ways, Bill’s and Laura’s laundry and housekeeping practices were not well matched.  Bill was a neat freak.  He liked everything to stay in its proper place.  With laundry, Bill was very diligent.  When the washer was finished, he immediately flipped the load to the dryer.  He used the timer on the dryer, and when it went off, he was there, instantly, to fold the load.  His folding was perfect, and nothing was ever wrinkled.  This helped him look spiffy, as Laura liked to say.

Their laundry practices weren’t at all compatible, as they found out during their first week in the cabin.  It was only logical that they combine their laundry, each taking turns with the responsibilities.  This didn’t work out so well.  When it was Laura’s turn, she’d forget about the washer load, and it would get mildew from sitting in there too long.  When Bill freaked out, she never understood why.  She always just re-washed the load, and didn’t worry about it.  She also didn’t fold to Bill’s liking, and he couldn’t handle it.

So they fought.  And it was bad.  Laura even returned Bill’s engagement ring at one point, threatening to move out or throw him out—she couldn’t decide which.  This terrified Bill.  His only logical response was to grab her and hold her tight. Because Laura had taught him there were many reasons to have sex, showing him the merits of each, Bill was able to appreciate the possibility of angry sex.  Once Laura was in his arms, there was nothing stopping him from taking her mouth in a searing kiss.  Like always, she gave as good as she got. 

There was a trail of clothing articles from the dining room (where they had been standing when the fight broke out) to their bedroom.  Neither of them were concerned about wrinkles just then.  And there was no discussion about who would do their laundry later.  There was no discussion about anything.

Though they had worked out their tension, and remembered what they’d lose if they parted, the couple still needed to talk about their problem.  But first Bill needed to convince her to stay.  He held his lover tenderly, like she was the most important person in his world.

“Don’t go.”

“Who said I was leaving?”

“You did.”

“I also said I could throw you out.”

“I wouldn’t leave.”

“I’d lock you out and change the locks.”

“I’d sleep on the porch.  You’d have to come out some time.”

“Then what?”

“I’d throw myself at your feet and beg you to forgive me.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you, and I can’t live without you.”  Laura couldn’t stop the smile from forming.  Bill’s love had become the one constant in her life, and it was important to her that it would never change.

“Even if you don’t like the way I fold your shirts?”

“Especially then.”  Bill gazed at his fiancee adoringly.  He loved her unconditionally, her laundry practices notwithstanding.

“Well, I’m not leaving, and I can’t very well have you freezing to death on our porch, now can I?”

“I’d prefer that wasn’t the case, yes.”

“Now what?”

“I’ll retrieve the ring you threw at my head—“

“I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed you so far--”

“We pushed each other.”

“I’m trying to apologize, Laura.  Quit interrupting.”

“That’s your apology?”

“No, I have something better in mind.”

“Ooh, do tell.”

“Let me show you instead.”

Bill kissed her forehead, climbed out of bed, and padded out of the bedroom.  Laura had no idea what he had in mind, but she looked forward to finding out.  Bill had never disappointed her when it came to romance in their relationship.  She knew this time would be no exception.

She was right.  Bill quickly returned to their bedroom with the tossed engagement ring.  Their engagement had an interesting history, and it was about to be even more so.  Laura became one of the few women in history—maybe of all time—to have been proposed to three times by the same man, accepting each time.  Bill botched his proposal in Ikea, which led to a fight on the way home.  They made up thoroughly, and Bill proposed again in their cabin.  But, according to him, that engagement was null and void after Laura threw it at his head a week later.  So there he was completely nude, holding the ring she cherished so deeply. 

“Laura, I can’t live without you.  You’re my best friend, lover, and partner.  Marry me?”

Laura got one of her giggle fits, so her response was between giggles, but she agreed to marry him and ordered him to get in their bed.  Bill had never turned down an order from a superior officer, especially not one as adorable as his fiancee.  And there was nothing in the known universe more adorable than a naked Laura Roslin having a giggle fit.  But when he started kissing her, the giggles went away.  That had its merit too, though, as they were able to engage in post-engagement sex. Again.  But they still had to talk about their original problem.

“What do we do?”

“About what?”

“About the laundry situation.”

“Oh.  We’ll get another washer and dryer.”

“Why?”

“Your way works for you.  My way works for me.”

“We can’t adapt.”

“And why should we?  We are who we are.”

“And therapy’s expensive.”

“Yeah, so we’d really be saving money here, in the long run.”

“Unless we fight about other things.”

“I’m confident in our abilities to make up, Laura.”

“And it can be a lot of fun.”

“That too.” 

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/161905.html)   
  



	22. Driving Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to lanalucy for the beta. *hugs*

Kara climbed out of the back seat of the Galactica, gave them a quick wave, and darted up the driveway to her front door. She had promised to behave, and all they could do was hope she had a peaceful night. 

Bill backed out of the driveway, and Laura squeezed his hand. “What are you thinking?” She asked.

She always seemed to sense his contemplations. “She needs a car.”

She snorted. “Fat chance, there, Bill.”

He executed the turn onto the main road. “Maybe.”

“What? You have a solution?”

“Yeah. Us.”

She glanced over at him. “What do you have in mind?”

They debated the merits of his plan during the drive home. When they got to their cabin, they made dinner together and ate. She organized her notes for the following day’s staff meeting, as he filled out the last of the required paperwork to start a NJROTC program. This time next year, he would be an educator like his bride-to-be. 

“She needs to learn to drive,” Laura said, apropos of nothing.

Bill looked up from his ROTC folder. “Not a problem.”

“Then you’ll teach her?”

He nodded. “In the Galactica. She can handle that, she can drive anything.”

She grinned and returned to her notes. He put the finishing touches on his paperwork. 

“Ready for bed?” he asked.

She made one last scribble with her pen, threw it down with the satisfaction she always showed when she completed a task, and closed her padfolio. “I am now.”

////////////////////////////////////////

After Bill got Laura on board, she was all for it, with reservations, of course. _“It’s not Kara I’m worried about, Bill. There are a lot of lousy drivers out there.”_

She understood it was a rite of passage, though, and would mean more freedom for her young friend, who so desperately needed it. At the end of the day, Kara reported to Laura’s office. Kara whistled. “Nice digs, Principal Roslin.”

Laura giggled. “Thanks, Kara.” She glanced around the room. “It’s much larger.” She refocused on Kara. “Think you could help with the decorations?”

Kara nodded with pride. “That’s what I do best.”

Laura smiled. “I know. Listen, you have your permit, right?”

Kara shrugged. “Yeah. Why?”

“Bill wants to teach you to drive. Would that be all right?”

Kara stood still, but Laura could tell she was excited on the inside. “Sure. Yeah.” 

Laura pointed to the chair in front of her. “Sit down. Talk to me.”

Kara complied. “Ooh, nice chair. Much better than Adar’s.” She snorted. “Gotta say, Ms. R, you run a tight ship.”

Laura laughed. “I haven’t been at it long.”

“Long enough, I guess. I’m actually looking forward to next year, you know.” She smirked. “Weird, huh?”

“No, I think it’s great.”

They talked about Kara’s day until Bill arrived. He kissed Laura hello and greeted Kara. “Hi, Starbuck.”

“Sir. So you’re gonna teach me to drive, huh?”

He nodded. “I am. Starting today, if you’re free.”

She smirked. “Let me check my schedule.” She pulled out an imaginary planner and pretended to turn its pages. She looked up at Bill. “Today’s good.”

Laura clapped her hands. “All right! Let’s go, then.”

Bill led them to the parking lot where the Galactica was waiting for them. Laura climbed into the back seat behind the driver, Kara sat in the driver’s seat, and Bill stood by Kara’s side, explaining the various controls. Once Kara had adjusted the seat and mirrors and exhibited a reasonable command of the instruments, Bill walked around to the passenger’s side and got in the car. “Now, this is an old car.” Kara snorted. He continued, “So it doesn’t have those fancy features cars today have. You’ll be doing all the work.”

The lot was mostly empty, with only the after-school crew and janitorial staff left, so it was a perfect time to practice. Bill explained they were going to start with accelerating and braking, beginning with Kara starting the car and pulling out of the parking spot. “See how I’m lined up against that pole?” Bill said.

Kara nodded. 

“That means you can just drive straight out of the spot. We’ll go over backing out later.”

He showed her how to maneuver the gear shift. “Put your foot on the brake first. That’s it. Now, push the button down and move the shift into Drive.”

Kara complied. 

“Excellent. Now, gently take your foot off the brake.” The car moved slightly. “See how we’re moving a bit? When you’re backing out or pulling out of a parking spot, you just want to start with your foot hovering the brake. Why do you think that is?”

“So I can stop if someone’s coming.”

“Yeah. There are a lot of bonehead drivers out there, Starbuck. You gotta be better than all of them and be prepared for their mistakes.”

Laura smiled. Any reservations she’d had about Kara driving or Bill teaching Kara disappeared. Bill wasn’t taking this lightly and neither would Kara. 

Kara pulled out of the parking spot slowly, and Bill told her she could put her foot on the gas. He let her drive straight for a few rows, and then when she was approaching the end of the third row, he said, “Now, take your foot off the gas, and flick your right turn signal.”

She flicked her left one. 

“The other one, Starbuck.”

“My bad.” She corrected her mistake. 

“Okay, now, look to make sure no one is coming and make your turn. If you need to, put your foot on the brake, but I think you’re going slow enough.”

She executed the turn perfectly, and Bill made sure she straightened the wheel and the car. They did a few more of those before moving onto left turns. 

The lesson was going very well, and Laura felt herself relaxing slightly. Then a concrete pole was coming closer and closer into view of her window. “Brake! Turn! Watch out!” Laura said.

Kara cut the wheel left, then right, then readjusted so the Galactica was driving forward in a perfectly straight line again. She kept going as Bill chuckled. “Good instincts, kid.”

Kara glanced at Laura in the rearview mirror. “Sorry, Ms. R.” Then she smirked. “Back seat driver.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ll behave.” She leaned forward and placed her hands on Kara’s shoulders. “And good job.”

Kara shrugged. “Just doing what I’m told.”

The rest of the lesson went without incident, and Laura was much more comfortable with Kara driving by the end of it. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kara pulled up to the DMV testing site and parked in front of the building. Zak, Karl, Ms. R, and Commander Adama piled out of the car and stood on the sidewalk. Kara turned off the engine and joined them. The examiner stepped out of the building and did a double-take when he saw the group. “You’re all together?”

Kara nodded. “They’re here to support me, or watch me screw up.” She shrugged.

The examiner sighed. 

_Ms. R was right about this place._

He asked Kara to start the car, and he checked her lights and turn signals before getting in the passenger’s seat. “We’re gonna start with parallel parking,” he said.

She could hear in his tone an almost-hope she would fail this first test, so he could be done. Move on to the next one. This increased her determination to pass. She followed his directions, aligned the Galactica with the space between the cones, and put the gear in reverse. She eyeballed a forty-five degree angle, and once she put Galactica perfectly between the cones, she knew she had already passed. 

The examiner didn’t share her excitement, but it didn’t matter. She finished the test without incident, and when she parked in front of the building, he handed her a slip of paper from the clipboard he’d been writing on. “Congratulations.”

She turned off the car and jumped out. “I passed!” 

Not that she was surprised, but it was important to her. Karl and Zak clomped her on the shoulders. “Now you can drive me around,” Zak said with a grin. He wouldn’t take his test for another year. 

She laughed. “Sure.”

Adama shook her hand. Ms. R went in for the shoulder-squeeze thing she always did, but Kara hugged her. Ms. R looked surprised for a minute, but then she pulled Kara in tighter. “I’m so proud of you,” she said.

Before Kara could start feeling awkward about the praise, the Old Man said, “How ‘bout ice cream?”

He winked at Kara, and she grinned. She’d been wrong about him; it was good to be wrong sometimes. “Let’s do milkshakes at the diner.” She smirked. “Buckle up, guys. I’m driving.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“And where are you going, missy?” Socrata asked, her hands on her hips. 

Kara’s hand remained on the doorknob as she turned her head toward her mother. “Just going out. I’ll be back later.”

“You’re going out with those boys again, ain’t ya?” Her eyes burned with contempt.

“Actually, no. Don’t wait up, ma.” 

She opened the door and walked out before Socrata could respond. The Old Man and Ms. R were waiting for her at the bottom of the driveway. She hurried into their back seat.

“Everything okay?” Ms. R asked.

_No._ Kara shrugged. “No worse than usual.”

She caught Ms. R’s steady gaze in the rearview mirror and met it dead on. Apparently satisfied, Ms. R broke their eye contact. 

After driving in silence for a few minutes, the Old Man asked, “What kind of car are you looking for?”

When Ms. R had brought up car shopping, she’d been quick to say she could go for moral support but had “no clue” about “those things.” The Old Man had offered his assistance. “I have a good track record with picking unpolished gems,” he’d said.

It was true, the Galactica was evidence of his ability to choose cars that could run literally forever. Kara had quipped her car would be more aesthetically pleasing, and he’d snorted as Ms. R giggled. 

“Something small, fast,” at Ms. R’s horrified shriek, she added, “but not too fast. I’d be okay with a fixer-upper, so long as what I’m fixing is cosmetic stuff. Or the stereo.” She leaned forward. “You’ll help me check out the engine, right?”

The Old Man nodded. “I can help with most repairs too.” In the rearview mirror she could see he was getting that faraway look. “In the old days, I fixed my birds as much as I flew them.”

“Cool.”

She liked his stories, and for some reason, she suspected she’d heard more of them than his sons had, especially Lee, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But she liked listening to them and really hoped the ROTC program would become a reality. It was one class she would actually make a point of attending. She’d already signed up for it, with the school’s assumption the grant would be approved. She’d been the first to enroll. 

They arrived at the used car dealership. It was one of two in town, so if they didn’t find something here, they certainly had another option available. 

Kara had cashed in some of the bonds her father had given her every birthday before he’d skipped town - the ones she could without her mother present. The others she would cash in when she was older. She didn’t have much, but enough to get by, she hoped.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, Kara noticed the eager salesmen and saleswomen. The one who had happened to be standing closest to them smiled as he approached, triumphant. “Hello, there. What brings you here today?”

Kara was about to roll her eyes, but Adama stepped in. “We’re just looking around. If we need you, we’ll let you know.”

The man nodded and walked away, obviously disappointed. He must have signaled to the others the “new people” weren’t having it, because no one else approached them. Instead, they went about their business, whatever it was.

The three of them strolled down the rows. The “Cash for Clunkers” program must have been effective because there weren’t any _old_ cars on the lot. “What do you think?” the Old Man asked.

She shrugged. Nothing was really grabbing her. Then toward the end of the row, she saw a yellow coupe. _That_ had personality. She pointed it out to them. “What do ya think of that one?”

Ms. R smiled. “Looks like you.”

Kara snorted. 

Adama peered at it. It must have passed muster, because he said, “Let’s have a look.”

Kara and the Old Man peered through the driver’s window. “150,000,” he read aloud. “Not too bad.” 

Kara noticed the price tag on the window. “It’s okay. We can look at another one.”

Ms. R. placed her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Why don’t we keep looking at this one, okay?”

Kara saw the determination on Coach’s face. It brooked no argument. And when she turned her attention to Bill, he simply nodded. Kara wasn’t sure how to feel, but continuing to look at the car wouldn’t hurt anything. The thing might not even run right anyway. 

Then they walked around the coupe, gauging for obvious damage. It had a dent on the back door of the passenger’s side, probably from a parking mishap. Otherwise, there was no outward indication of trouble. 

He glanced from the car to Kara. His question clear. 

She shrugged. “I like it.”

He nodded. “Seems like a good fit.” He put his arm around Ms. R, who had sidled up to him. “What do you think?”

Ms. R hmmed. “I think we should hear it run.”

Almost as soon as she said that, the salesman they’d encountered earlier came out of the woodwork. “Want a test drive?”

Their entire party nodded. 

//////////////////////////////////////////////

An hour later, they were in the dealer’s office. Kara had enough cash for half, which was plenty for a down payment. Ms. R suggested Kara keep some of it for gas and spending money. 

She was going to need a loan, and she had no credit. Ms. R simply smiled. “Bill and I will co-sign.”

“But--” 

“We’ll make the payments until you get a job.”

The Old Man had his arms crossed and nodded as Ms. R spoke. They were clearly a united front - on her side. 

“And what about you? I’ll owe you.”

Ms. R patted Kara’s arm. “And you’re good for it. Don’t worry.”

She had no money and no means of getting it. It would be a long time before she could repay them. And Ms. R was telling her not to worry. Maybe the Old Man was on the same wavelength as Kara, though, because he said, “You can always help us decorate our cabin.”

Kara nodded. _That_ was something she could do. 

The three of them signed the paperwork. Kara handed the salesman her money, and he finalized everything and handed Kara the keys to her first car. 

They exited the building, and Ms. R and the Old Man walked her to her car. Once they were standing next to it, Kara hugged them both. “Thanks, you guys.” 

They nodded and grinned. The Old Man said for her to pull out first, and they’d follow her. “I wanna see how it _really_ handles. See what it needs.”

She snorted. According to his stories, he had always prided himself on keeping his “birds” in the air, and would have the same doggedness for her car. She was pretty sure they’d made a wise choice, but it was nice to know how much he and Ms. R cared. “The diner?” she asked.

The Old Man nodded. “All this shopping made me hungry.” 

Ms. R grinned at him. 

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing, honey. I’m hungry too.”

Kara opened her door and climbed in. She started the engine and let it sit for a minute, warm up. When she saw they had gotten into the Galactica, she backed out of the spot and drove out of the lot. The Old Man was right behind her, and she knew he had her back. 

////////////////////////////////////////////


	23. Housesitting with the Tighs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Bill and Laura are on their honeymoon, Saul housesits their cabin. He gets an unexpected visitor.

Title: Housesitting with the Tighs  
Rating: T  
Warning: vague references to child abuse  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: While Bill and Laura are on their honeymoon, Saul housesits their cabin. He gets an unexpected visitor.  
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Kara, Bill/Laura, Saul/Ellen  
Word Count: ~2500  
Beta: Much thanks to [](http://fragrantwoods.livejournal.com/profile)[**fragrantwoods**](http://fragrantwoods.livejournal.com/) for helping me with concerns with accuracy.  
A/N: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."  
A/N2: The events in this installment are occurring concurrently with the events in this spin off '[verse.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/97281.html)

Saul popped open a can of beer and sat on the Adamas' porch swing. Between the quiet and the view, he could get used to this. He took a swig. Oh yeah, that was good stuff.

Just as he was starting to close his eyes, he heard footsteps. Loud ones.

"Hey."

It was that girl, Kara (although they called her Starbuck). "They're not here."

She smirked. "I know. They told me I could crash here."

They did mention she might be stopping by. Something about her mother. Now what? "Does your mom know you're here?"

"I left a note." 

She wasn't going to say anything more. "Have a seat if you want. I'd offer a beer, but--"

"That's okay. I'll grab a coke."

She opened the door and went inside. Saul took out his cellphone. He'd need reinforcement.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kara came back out with a coke and approached the porch swing. “Okay if I join you, Mr. Tigh?” She asked after sitting.

What was he gonna say? He just nodded. 

“You and the Old Man go way back, right?”

Something they could talk about, at least. “Yeah.”

“You must have some stories.”

He smirked. “Yeah, we’ve had some good times together. And with Ellen.”

“That’s your wife, right?”

He nodded. “You sure ask a lot of questions.”

“Ms. R, err. Mrs. Adama says that’s the best way to learn.”

“What are you trying to learn?”   
  
“I just wanna hear some stories.”

He looked at her trying to decide what story to tell. He had so many, but the Old Man (or even worse, the Old Lady) would kill him for telling her some of them, especially the ones involving Ellen. Looking at the kid, it was hard to remember she was so  young. She seemed so tough. He knew what that was about. 

“The military can be a great place to grow up,” he said. Not the best way to start a story, but he felt like he could share something with her. Like maybe she could escape that way.

“Bill says that too. He also says it can take the life out of you.”

He nodded. “That’s true too.” He smirked. “Leave it to the Old Man to be brutally honest.”

“I like that about him.”

She said that quickly. Like an instinct. Bill mentioned how hard he had to work to win her over and how loyal she was to Laura. It seemed Bill managed to gain some of that loyalty for himself. 

“Me too. I always did.” He took a sip of beer. “Alright, I got a good story.”

He proceeded to tell her about the time they were on leave in Singapore. They were nearly mugged, outnumbered 5 to 2, but Bill took three, and Saul took the other two, and they won. They’d celebrated pretty hard after that, but Saul ended the story with Bill saving Saul. 

“Then what?”

He shrugged. “We went back to the ship. We were both sore and beat up pretty bad. Me especially. We spent a lot of our leave in sick bay.”

“That sucks. You guys were bad asses, though. Maybe you or Bill could teach me to box.”

“What would your mother say?”

She got up from the swing. “My mother doesn’t say much about anything. And maybe if I could box...”

Yeah he was right. So were the Old Lady and Old Man. Why weren’t they doing anything about it? “Sure kid. We could teach you how to box.” He took another swig, which turned into a chug. This girl was gonna be trouble. “After they get back. Cuz Bill is a much better teacher than me. Better boxer too.”

She sat back down and sipped her coke. She was alright for a kid. For a girl kid. He’d never related well to children. Maybe it was just as well he and Ellen never had any.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He cut his story short. They’d probably visited some prostitutes or something. It was funny that he didn’t want to tell her that. Probably afraid of what the Old Lady would do if she found out.

Laura was especially fierce since she ousted half the faculty and took over as principal. She’d even threatened Socrata. “I’m in charge now. One phone call’s all it’ll take,” she’d said. Socrata had stopped for awhile after that. 

When the Adamas got hitched, Laura and Socrata made an agreement. They didn't think Kara knew about it, but she's sharper than people give her credit for. Since that was what she wanted, she didn’t put up a fight over that. That’s what brought her to the cabin. Socrata had that look in her eyes, and Kara knew to get out. 

She called Laura, and the Old Lady said she could help housesit with Saul. From the sound of her voice, Kara gathered the Old Lady was plenty pissed. She wouldn’t want to be Socrata right now.

She turned to Saul. “I’m gonna go inside a minute.”

He nodded.

She headed inside. She could get used to this.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Laura stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was majestic. Standing before something so big made her feel small. Surprisingly, she was okay with the feeling. Probably because Bill was standing there with his arm around her. "What do you think?"

"Beautiful."

She turned to him. He wasn't even looking at it. "You weren't looking."

"Oh, I was looking."

“Yeah? At what?”

“The view’s beautiful from here. The sun’s rays make your hair glisten.”

She turned to him. “I like the view too.”

Her phone buzzed. She backed from the edge, and Bill followed her. “Kara? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I left her a note and booked just like you told me. Oh, and Mr. Tigh’s okay.”

“Yeah? Good. I’m glad you’re there. Saul’s a good man. If you want to stay and house sit with the Tighs, you can. I’m gonna take care of a few things over here. You sure you’re okay?”

She could almost hear the eye roll. “Yeah, I’m fine. How are you guys?”

It was the closest she’d get to an ‘I miss you.’ “We’re great. We’re standing in front of the Grand Canyon right now.”

“Cool. Well, have fun.”

“Bye, Kara.” 

Laura ended the call. Bill was at her side in an instant. “She okay?”

“Yeah, I think so. She’s with Saul at the Cabin.”

“That’s what we wanted, right?”

“Yes, it was.”

It was part of the agreement she’d made. Not her proudest moment but she believed it was what was best for Kara. Sure, she could call child services, again, and they’d remove her, but then what? She knew Kara, and the system was no place for her. She was nearly seventeen. Going into her senior year. She thrived under Laura’s and Bill’s care, so that made the most sense for all involved.

Bill questioned her motives initially.  _“Are you sure this isn’t about you?”_

_“Maybe it is. A little. But it’s mostly about her.”_

_He nodded. “Then you have my full support.”_

She paid Socrata a visit the next day. The woman didn’t want to let her in, but there wasn’t much she could do to stop Laura: She was on the warpath.

_“I’ll keep this simple. I don’t want Kara in the system. You don’t want them coming here. Again.”_

_“You’re the one who sent them here.”_

_“And I can do it again. And this time you won’t be able to fool them.”_

_“What do you want?”_

_“I want you to let Kara stay with me whenever she feels unsafe. And I want it in writing.” She handed Socrata the agreement she wrote up. “Sign this, please.”_

_“I’m gonna read it first.”_

_Laura smiled. “Of course.”_

_She watched Socrata read the document. Prepared for the next step if necessary. Socrata picked up the pen and signed. Then she shoved the document in Laura’s face. “Take her now, if you want her so bad.”_

_“Thank you. I will.”_

_Laura found Kara on the front porch. “Want to come with me for a while?”_

_“Sure. What’s up?”_

_“You wanna stay with Bill and me?”_

_“For how long?”_

_“A few days.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Great. Let’s go.”_

Bill held her close. “Should we try to make it permanent?”

“I’d love to, you know that, but...”

“The agreement.”

She nodded. “She’ll stick it out for a year, and then she can go where she wants. And she knows she’s welcome with us.”

“Yeah.”

Laura picked up her phone and dialed Cynthia’s number. “Cynthia? Hi. It’s Laura Roslin.” She glanced at Bill. “Remember that situation we talked about?”

“With the Thraces?”

“Yes. That’s it. Kara is currently at my cabin. However, my husband and I are on our honeymoon. Our friends are housesitting for us, and Kara would like to stay with them.”

“Uh, huh. Well, I could do an ‘off the record’ visit and background check just to make sure Kara is truly comfortable.”

“Thank you, so very much.”

“You’ve been very helpful to us since you became principal, so it’s no problem really.”

They exchanged goodbyes and Laura ended the call. 

“That sounds like it went well,” Bill said.

“Very well. Now, I’m gonna call Saul.” 

“Sounds good. Mrs. Roslin.”

She squeezed his hand. “Mr. Roslin.”

She pushed Saul’s number in her cell phone.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Saul’s phone rang. He answered it hoping it was Ellen. “Laura? Hi. How ya doin?”

“We’re great, Saul. We’re at the Grand Canyon. Is Starbuck with you?”

“Yeah. She’s inside now. She’s been keeping me company on your porch swing.”

“Good. Listen, I just got off the phone with a social worker. She's gonna come by and make sure she’s alright. She’ll ask you and Ellen some questions too. Are you and Ellen gonna be okay with that?”

Saul dumped the rest of his beer in the grass behind him. “You can count on us.”

He could hear her smile in the phone. Anything for his best friends. It wasn’t like she was a little kid or anything, anyway. “You’re the best, Saul. Thanks. And call if you need anything. We can come home early if we need to, okay?”

“Laura, we got this. Don’t even think about coming home. I swear we’ll keep you posted.”

“Okay. Bye, Saul.”

The phone clicked when the call ended. Saul put the phone in his pocket and went inside.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She was on the couch when Saul came in. “Hey, I just got off the phone with Laura. A social worker will be here to talk to you. And my wife’s gonna stay with us too.”

She nodded. Anything to stay here. 

There was a knock on the door, followed by a woman calling Saul’s name. “Your wife?” Kara asked.

“Just in time.” 

Saul opened the door, and a woman in a floral dress and blonde hair entered. “What’s the big emergency, Saul? You’re just housesitting for them.”

Saul gestured to Kara. “It’s a little more complicated. This is Kara Thrace.”

Ellen’s eyes registered understanding. “Right, Kara.” She ran to the couch. “We’ll be great friends, won’t we?”

Normally Kara didn’t make friends with people who insisted they’d be friends. This woman, however, was friends with Bill and Laura, and she was Saul’s wife, so she couldn’t be too bad. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

Ellen flashed a big smile. “I just have to talk to Saul. We’ll be back in a flash.”

The woman practically dragged her husband into the kitchen. They were certainly different than the Adamas, but she could get used to them too. Saul was pretty cool, at least.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

An hour later, the social worker came and went. She was satisfied with the living conditions of the cabin, Kara’s statement, and Principal Roslin attesting for the Tighs’ character. She conducted her own background check, which came up clean. Kara could stay with them for the duration of the Adamas’ trip if she chose.

She called Socrata for confirmation that this arrangement was indeed alright with the parent. Socrata said she had no problem letting Kara stay with ‘Ms. Perfect Roslin and her high class friends.’ After that conversation, she was even more understanding of Laura’s actions even if they weren’t, strictly speaking, legal. Someone had to look out for Kara Thrace, and the Adamas--and their friends the Tighs--were the best shot she had. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She spoke to Kara first. “Are you sure you’re comfortable here?” 

Kara nodded. “Very. The Adamas are great people, and they love kids.”

The social worker nodded. “What about the Tighs?”

Kara shrugged. “I like Saul. He’s tough but fun to talk to. Ellen seems cool too.”

“And you’d rather stay here than at home?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

The woman smiled. “That’s all I needed to know. Now, if you’ll just give me your mother’s number, I can confirm it.”

Kara gave her the number, and then she sat down, giving the woman some space. She didn’t really want to hear her mother’s voice at the moment--not even through the phone.

She watched the woman’s face as she listened and spoke. She must have been getting an earful. 

When the social worker ended the call, she confirmed everything was on the up and up. Kara knew that wasn’t exactly true but said nothing. Ms. R, err, Mrs. Adama was great at bending the rules. It was one of the things Kara liked most about her.

The woman said she needed to talk to the Tighs. Kara nodded and sat back against the sofa, as the adults went into the kitchen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Are you sure, you want responsibility for a 16 year old girl?” the woman asked Saul.

Did he? Well, strictly speaking, probably not, but she was alone and needed someone who had her back. He knew what that was all about. Besides, he promised Laura, and he didn’t break promises to his best friends. “Of course. She’s a great kid, and besides, who else will do it?”

She nodded. Maybe that was the right answer. He was never good at these things. Bill or Ellen usually did the talking for him. “What about you, Ellen?”

Ellen answered with a gleeful “We’ll have so much fun together. I’ve always wanted a niece or little sister. She can be the one I never got to have.”

He didn’t know that about his wife. 

“Well, the background check came up totally clean.” He nearly did a doubletake. The woman smiled and continued. “You’re doing a great thing for her. You’re good people.” She handed him a card. “In fact, if you’re interested, there are many children who could use people just like you.”

He nodded. Glad to appear trustworthy to someone aside from Bill and Laura. “We’ll certainly think about it, ma’am.” 

They exited the kitchen, and the social worker went to Kara once more. 

“You have a nice setup here, Kara.”

Kara nodded. 

The woman gave everyone a final wave, and she left. 

Ellen sank down onto the sofa with exaggerated exhaustion, as Saul sat in the adjacent chair.  “What should we have for dinner?” Ellen asked Kara.

Kara shrugged. “Whatever.”

Ellen lowered her voice and said, “I have to admit, I don’t really cook.”

Kara smirked. “Me neither.”

“Let’s get Saul to take us to dinner.”

She winked at Kara and turned to her husband. “Saul, dear, I think we should celebrate.”

He chuckled. They were always ‘celebrating’ something. “Let’s go, then. I’m starving.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/21768.html)


	24. Chain of Command

Title: Chain of Command  
Rating: K+ (Mostly fluff allusions to eventual sexytimes)  
Word Count: 100  
Disclaimer: don't own them; they own me.  
A/N: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"  
  


“How was your day, Honey?”

“We went over the Chain of Command.”

“Hmm.  How far up did you go?”

“The buck stops with you, Principal Roslin.”

“Damn straight, but you know I like to be called Mrs. Adama at home.”

“I thought maybe we’d role play.”

“Does Commander Adama want to report to the principal’s office?”

“Yes, please.”

“We’ll do that later, I promise.  Right now I wanna tell my husband how proud I am of him.  You’ll be a wonderful role model for those cadets, Bill.”

“I’m proud to report to you, Mrs. Adama.  You’re my favorite boss, Laura.”   
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/44679.html)

  
  



	25. Family Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follows all the events that have happend thus far (and many that haven't yet).  It's set a year and a half after the Adamas met.  Laura contemplates her life with her husband and their unconventional family.

Title: Family Dinner  
Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Follows all the events that have happend thus far (and many that haven't yet).  It's set a year and a half after the Adamas met.  Laura contemplates her life with her husband and their unconventional family.  
A/N: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"  
  


It had been six months since they were married, a year and a half since they met, and almost that long since they had met each other’s children—in a matter of speaking.  Laura brought Bill to the high school with her three days after they met.  There, Bill met Billy, Kara a.k.a. Starbuck, and Sam Anders.  That same day, Laura met Zak Adama, who was friends with Kara and Sam. 

They formed an unconventional family in the time since that day.  Zak discovered he greatly preferred his father’s girlfriend to his own mother, and he had always adored his father, especially since he mellowed out after retiring and meeting Laura.  Zak wished Lee would come around, but there was no talking to him when it came to their father.  Laura had never met her other stepson, but a lifetime of dealing with adolescents taught her he’d learn in his own time.  She knew the distance between father and son hurt her husband, but all they could do was be patient and hope he’d want to talk to his father at some point.  The young man was a sophomore in college, and his father was very proud of him. 

Zak visited his father and stepmother frequently.  He was a junior in high school, and his mother had full custody, but he could visit as much as he pleased.  The Adamas went out of their way to welcome their son into their cabin.  As they did for the rest of their unconventional family.  Sam and Kara were Zak’s best friends. 

Kara was a senior and quickly becoming Bill’s top cadet in ROTC.  She had been moving through the ranks all year, and he was about to promote her to Commander—she didn’t know it yet.  The Adamas were very proud of their daughter; she had blossomed under Bill’s leadership and instruction, never getting into trouble anymore.  Of course, being close to the school’s principal didn’t hurt either.  But Principal Roslin would insist she never gave her—or any of their children—special treatment. 

Captain Starbuck, as Laura liked to call her, had a room in their cabin, and she spent the night there most of the time.  This development happened after her long abusive mother finally drank herself to death.  Knowing the young woman would never survive in the system, Laura arranged to get temporary custody of Kara—she was turning 18 in a few months and could live with whomever she wanted at that point.  Kara found she liked living with Laura and Bill.  They were the closest thing she ever had to parents, and she loved them.  So, when she turned 18, she had no intention of going anywhere—at least not until she joined the Navy after graduation.  And even then, she’d always call the Adama Cabin home. 

Sam Anders was a freshman in college.  He had remained close to Kara and Zak, which meant he was a frequent guest at the Adamas’ kitchen table.  Laura was a firm believer in the family dinner, having grown up in a family where they occurred at least once a week.  When Bill’s and her lives were coming together, he quickly embraced the notion. 

He always invited Lee; though they were always declined, Bill never gave up hope.  The Tighs came occasionally, much to Laura’s chagrin—she got along fine with Saul, (sort of) but she had absolutely no patience for Ellen.  After those dinners a battle usually ensued between Laura and Bill, followed by intense make-up sex.  Ultimately, though, Laura was happy to indulge her husband’s wishes—the man asked for so little and gave so much.  If including his best friend and his wife in their family dinners made Bill happy, then Laura was happy, especially after Ellen induced make-up sex. 

The final member of the Adama clan was Laura’s favorite student and protege Billy.  He had graduated from high school when he was barely 16.  The boy had entered college as a freshman the following Fall, and he relied on his former teacher and her husband for advice.  The Adamas had the explicit trust of the Keikeya family with their son’s well-being.  So, he frequently came to their house for dinner.  And the husband and wife team were there for anything the young man needed.  They even drove him to campus in the morning and picked him up at night—No son of theirs was going to take the bus into the dangerous city.  That meant they all had an early morning, but Billy always had a book to read and homework, so he didn’t mind being on campus hours before he classes.  Plus, he liked listening to the Adamas’ morning banter.  He grew to love Laura like another mother, and was becoming very close to Bill too.  He especially liked that the retired Commander was so good to his wife.  It was the best example of love and marriage he’d ever seen, and he wanted to share something similar one day.  He had his sights set on a classmate who went by the nickname Dee. 

“What are you thinking about, beautiful?”  Even after a year and a half, Laura loved the way her husband’s voice rumbled, especially when it was accompanied by him wrapping his giant arms around her waist from behind and holding her tight.

“Our family.”

“It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“Very.”

“We should get cooking.  Eveyone’ll be here soon.  This is a very special dinner.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s our anniversary.”

“That’s not for another six months.”

“Not that anniversary.  It’s been exactly a year since I botched my proposal in the middle of Ikea.”

“I’m pretty sure that was the best night of my life.”

“Better than our wedding?”

“Okay, second best.”

“Mine too.”

“Well, happy anniversary, then.  We’ll have to celebrate later.”

“Our celebrations have been quiet lately since Kara moved in.”

“We can’t keep her up all night, Bill.  She needs her sleep.”

“Something tells me she doesn’t mind.”

“Oh, I know that.  She keeps winking at you.  You two have some secret code or something?”

“She just wants to make sure I’m taking care of her mother.”

“Well, she can rest assured in that department.”

“So say we all.”

[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/62194.html)   
  



	26. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's under the weather, and Bill's out, but Kara's there to care for her.

Title: Surprises  
Rating: T  
Word Count: 300  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura's under the weather, and Bill's out, but Kara's there to care for her.  
A/N: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."  
A/N 2:  Many thanks to[](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[ **afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) and [](http://mellow-mel.livejournal.com/profile)[**mellow_mel**](http://mellow-mel.livejournal.com/) for pointing out FUBARs and/or suggesting lines.

  


“You okay, Mom?”

Laura straightened up, washed her face and rinsed her mouth, and exited the bathroom.  She’d been vomit free since 2003, so she was more than a little concerned.  And so was Starbuck.

“I’m fine, Starbuck.”

“Really? Because I thought you were vomit free since 2003. You’re not a little concerned about that?”

“You’re right, I am.”

“Where’s the Old Man?  He should be taking care of you.”

“He’s out with Zak.”

“Oh, guy stuff.”

“Yeah, and besides, you know how Bill is.”

“Crazy in love with you? Yeah, I know.”

“It’s probably just the flu or something.”

“You don’t get sick, Mom.”

“How do you know so much about me?”

“I’ve been hanging out in your office every day for years; I know you never missed a day of school.”

“Neither did you.”

“Yeah.  How about that.”

“Hmm.”

“Maybe the Old Man knocked you up. Or not, Gees that’s some glare you’ve got; it’s worse than the Old Man’s.”

“It always kept you in line.”

“Seriously though, it could be.”

“At our ages?”

“You’re only 42, and Bill’s the Old Man.”

“I guess so.”

“Birth control?”

“No, we don’t....”

“That’s good planning.”

“We decided we wouldn't..." Laura paused.  "Actively prevent," she finished.

“You’ve certainly been trying hard.”

“Starbuck!”

“Relax, Mom.  I think it’s great.”

“I’m not having this conversation.”

“Then we won’t.  I’ll run to the store and pick up a test.  Think you’ll be alright?”

“I’m sure I’ll manage, Commander Starbuck.  Thanks.”

“I love my new rank.”

“I know.”

“Why did he…”

“He must believe in you.”

“Alright, I’ll head out.  I’ll be back soon.”

“Be safe.”

Kara gave her surrogate mother a quick kiss on the cheek and left.  Laura watched her daughter leave, a tender loving smile on her face.  They’d all be fine.  
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/70127.html)

  
  



	27. A Very Ikeaverse Christmas

After her talk with Kara, they rode to the drugstore together. Kara walked with her to the family planning aisle, and they picked out what was supposed to be the most accurate test. They checked out and drove home. “Thanks for coming with me. It must have been...embarrassing for you.”

Kara snorted. “I don’t do embarrassment.”

Laura stroked Kara’s cheek. Her daughter was such a wonderful person.

“So maybe I’ll have a little brother or sister.”

“Yeah, is that...are you…”

“Mom, it would be fine. Awesome. I can’t wait to teach it all things Adama-Roslin.”

Laura mock groaned. “Oh, no! Between you and Zak and the team, the baby’s not gonna stand a chance.”

Kara laughed, and Laura realized she was in a much lighter mood, and she owed that to her daughter too.

When they got home, Kara sat on the sofa. “I’m..uh, I’ll be right here.”

Right. Laura gave a slight nod and entered the master bathroom. 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////

When Laura exited her bedroom, Kara was...there. “Well?” she asked.

“It’s positive.”

Kara threw her arms around Laura in a bear hug. “This is good, right? You’re happy?”

Laura kissed Kara’s hair. “So happy.”

“I know who else will be happy.”

“I’ll tell him tonight.”

Kara nodded. “I’ll go out with Sammy and Karl.”

Laura held her daughter tighter. “Thank you, honey.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

Before she left with Sam and Karl, Kara helped Laura set the table for two. She even found a few candles in the cabinet under the sink. Laura nodded, as Kara gestured toward the table with them. 

Then, apparently satisfied with her work, Kara clapped her hands together, gave Laura a quick hug and ran out the front door. Laura followed her to the door, waving at the boys waiting in the car. She told them to have fun and be safe. Kara rolled her eyes, but her laugh expressed her...love. 

With everything ready, Laura had nothing left to do but wait for Bill. She sat on their sofa, flipping through the pages of her novel, but she...couldn’t get into the story. It wasn’t the book but her thoughts. She was nervous and excited. Anticipating the look on his face. His response. 

She closed her book, returned it to their coffee table and waited. 

Finally the door opened, and Bill strode in, approaching the sofa. He leaned down to kiss her, and she smiled against his mouth. “Hi, sweetheart,” he said. “I missed you today.”

“Me too, honey.” She pulled him in for a tight hug. “Did you have a good day with Zak?”

“Yeah, he’s a great kid. He met up with Kara and the kids.” He chuckled. “She seemed adamant about them being out of the house for the night.”

“You know Kara.”

“She’s stubborn like both of us.” His eyes twinkled a bit. “It’s almost like…”

“I know, she really could be ours. Is ours.” 

He sniffed in the air. “It smells wonderful.”

“Let’s eat - you must be starving.”

They entered the dining room. He glanced at the setting and lit candles. “Fancy. Reminds me of our first date.”

She hmmed. “I seem to remember that night ending well.”

He stroked her arm. “I like our odds for tonight too.”

She giggled. Then she told him to sit down while she got their dinner. She served the eggplant parm onto their two dishes and brought the dishes to the table. Bill stood to pour the wine, but Laura waved him off before he could get to her glass. “I’ll just..um..have some water.” 

He raised a brow. She never was one to overindulge, but she did enjoy a glass with dinner most nights, so his surprise was understandable. “Laura?”

“I’m fine, Bill. More than fine.” 

She sat down, and he brought her glass into the kitchen to fill it with water. He returned, set the glass in front of her place, and kissed her head. “Is it...what I think it is?”

She smiled up at him. “We’re having a baby.”

He beamed at her and threw his arms around her in a tight hug. “I’m so...we’re going to...I love you.”

She laughed. “Yes, yes, and me too.” She lightly hit his back. “Now, sit down and eat and I’ll tell you everything.” 

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They were taking their tree out of its box, getting ready to put it on the stand. The debate over the tree had led to a particularly lively dinner one night, as Bill was a proponent for a real tree, while Laura was adamant about an artificial one. 

_”I don’t understand, Laura. That seems so...unlike you.”_

_She nodded. “You’re right. My family and I...we used to go to a farm every year and pick out the perfect tree. We always knew when we found it.” He placed his hand on her shoulder and started rubbing it. “My dad would get all the sap off and put it up, and then we’d all decorate it.”_

_“That sounds lovely.”_

_She smiled sadly. “It was. Until one year my dad noticed these...balls all over the tree. He cracked one open and all these spiders crawled out of it.” She shook her head. The thought of it still skeeved her out. “It was in the garage, thank God, but still.”_

_“What did he do?”_

_“He removed all the balls and got rid of them. He put up the tree like normal, but we didn’t decorate it until later that year. Anyway, that night the mother spider came out of the tree. We found it on the ceiling.” She shuddered. “That was the last year we got a real tree.”_

_He patted her arm. “Well, you sold me, honey.”_

They decided on the corner of the living room in front of the window. Bill placed the trunk in the stand, screwed it in place, and Laura arranged the skirt. She stepped back. “Perfect.” 

He worked on the lights, while she retrieved her box of decorations from the attic. Then she watched him, his careful hands stringing the lights along the branches. This was quickly becoming her favorite Christmas memory. 

She opened the box and peered inside. The red bows would go perfectly with their decor. She wanted something tasteful and elegant for their first Christmas, and she also wanted to leave room for Kara to add to their tree. Giving Kara a special Christmas - her first real one - was the most important thing she and Bill would do that season. 

“Where’s Kara?” Bill asked.

“She said she had to go out for a bit. I think she’s with the boys.” She smiled fondly. “I’m sure they’re keeping her out of trouble.”

He nodded and returned his attention to the tree. “At the rate I’m going, she might get here just in time.”

“You’re doing fine, honey.”

And she certainly didn’t mind watching him work.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kara burst through the door just as Bill was putting the final touches on the lights. Laura got up from the sofa and went to greet her daughter, whose hands were full of bags. 

“What’s all that?”

Kara shook her head. “Not yet. You’ll all have to wait ‘til Christmas.”

Laura grinned. “Of course. You’re just in time; we were gonna decorate the tree.”

Kara nodded. “Right, yeah. I’ll go...hide these and be right back.”

Laura nodded, and Kara disappeared into her room. Laura smiled and returned to the living room. 

Bill rose from where he was kneeling on the floor. “What is it?” 

“Our daughter.”

He grinned. “She’s come a long way.”

Kara ran into the room. She gazed at the tree. “It’s nice. I bet it looks good from outside too.”

Laura set the box of ornaments on the coffee table. “These are all the ornaments I have. Some of them are old - my grandmother’s - and some I’ve purchased over the years. This week we’ll run out and each of us will pick out an ornament that represents us and our year.” Her eyes twinkled a little. “It’ll be a nice tradition, I think.”

Kara nodded. She didn’t say anything, but it was clear the idea….wasn’t offensive to her. Whatever ornament Kara chose, Laura knew it would be perfect for Kara and their tree. 

“You wanna do the honors, Kara?” 

Kara peered inside the box. “It doesn’t matter, right?”

“No, choose anything you like.” Laura laughed. “We have the whole tree to fill in.”

Kara’s hand closed around one of the painted pinecones. “I kind of like this. It...suits me, you know?”

Laura smiled. “My mother painted it herself. One year she made my sisters and me pick the pinecones around our yard, and then we all painted them.” She sighed. “There aren’t many left now, but they’re some of my favorites.” 

Kara seemed more confident in her choice, and she went over to the tree. She stepped back slightly, obviously trying to decide on the best placement. Bill caught Laura’s eye, and they shared a knowing look: Their daughter was...home. Kara tied the string around a branch that was just slightly off center. It was perfect. 

“All right, you two keep going, and I’ll get the eggnog,” Laura said. 

As she walked into the kitchen, she heard the distinct sound of hands moving around the box. She wiped her eyes and opened the fridge. 

////////////////////////////////////////////

Kara grinned. “Your turn, Old Man.”

Bill reached his hand inside the box. It was...moving to see Laura’s past like this. His hand gravitated to a tree shaped one. He pulled it out and glanced at it. There were names, _their_ names. He showed it to Kara, and she nodded. “Where should I put it?” he asked.

She peered at the tree, taking her task seriously. “Near the top? You know, so we can always see them.”

He kissed her forehead, and she looked...pleased. Then he followed her suggestion. When the family tree was firmly placed on a branch, he backed away slightly. “I think that’s perfect.”

Laura returned with three glasses of eggnog and placed them on the coffee table around the box. “How’s it coming?”

Bill beamed at her. “Very well.” He hugged Kara around the shoulders. “Starbuck could make a career out of this.”

Laura glanced at the tree. She noticed the family tree - just like Kara had thought she would. Laura’s eyes welled up a bit, and then she smiled. “We’ll need to add a few names to it, won’t we?”

She went to them and pulled them both in for a hug. They drank their eggnog and continued putting ornaments on the tree. So many of them had a story attached, and he learned just a bit more about his wife - and the family that had shaped so much of who she was - with each piece. 

When they were finished, Laura beamed at the tree and them. “It’s almost perfect, but I think we need a few that represent our family.”

Kara nodded, and then she yawned. She hugged them and went to her room, calling out ‘good night’ over her shoulder. 

Laura and he moved to the couch, where she nestled against him. “Thank you, Bill.”

He kissed her head. “No, Laura. Thank you.” 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Bill and Laura made a formidable wrapping team. They focused on Kara’s, Zak’s (and Lee’s) gifts first. Laura had wrapped and hidden Bill’s gifts already, and she suspected he had done the same with hers. Then they moved on to their Colonial Runners and the Tighs. Just after 1 am, they finished wrapping and placed Kara’s gifts under the tree. 

Then Bill disappeared, saying he had to do something. She grinned and went to “do something” herself. 

She returned to the living room with Bill’s gifts and placed them on his side of the couch. When she was satisfied with the presentation, Bill burst into the room with his arms full of packages. She laughed. “What’s all that, honey?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She giggled. He was getting a bit grumpy; they needed to go to bed. 

He laid the presents on the other side of the couch. Then he glanced at her. “Are we all set?”

She nodded and stroked his face. “Yeah, let’s get to bed.”

When they entered their bedroom, they collapsed on their bed. He held her tight around the middle, as he had been doing since the big news. His nose was buried in her hair. “Love you, Laura,” he said, although it didn’t quite come out that clearly.

She covered his hands with hers. “You too, Bill.”

He was already snoring, though. 

She was just closing her eyes when she heard the door to Kara’s room creak open. Laura smiled a sleepy grin. Their daughter was so excited, and it was...wonderful to watch. 

She and Bill had already decided they wouldn’t make Kara wait too long, agreeing to take a nap after they opened their gifts. And they were just as excited as their daughter. 

She snuggled further against him and allowed sleep to take her. 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Around six, Laura opened her eyes and nudged Bill. He groaned and asked what she wanted. She turned to him, a tired smile on her face. “Merry Christmas.” She kissed him. “Ready?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

They climbed out of their bed. Laura put on her robe and slippers, and they went into the living room. When they got there, Laura saw Kara curled up on the floor by the tree. Laura covered her mouth to keep from giggling at the sight. She turned to Bill, who wore the same expression. He nodded in answer to her silent question. 

She approached Kara’s sleeping form, knelt down beside her, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Kara stirred. Then she moved her arms wildly, so Laura ducked to avoid getting hit, as Bill chuckled at the sight. Kara opened her eyes. “It’s time already?”

Laura grinned. “Merry Christmas to you, too.”

“Oh, yeah. Merry Christmas, mom.” She sat up and turned to Bill. “Old Man.”

“Merry Christmas, Starbuck.”

“I was trying to be quiet. I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Kara asked. 

“Oh, no. We weren’t even asleep yet when we heard you, and then we didn’t hear a peep. Did we, Bill?”

Bill shook his head. “No, it was this one,” he said indicating Laura, “who woke me up. Nudged me.”

Laura hugged him. “Sorry, honey, but you were snoring so loudly. I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss Christmas.”

He huffed “I don’t snore” under his breath and said something about making coffee before disappearing into the kitchen. 

While he was gone, Laura glanced around the room. There were presents she and Bill hadn’t wrapped. The new gifts all had the same snowman wrapping paper, while Bill’s and Laura’s gifts were wrapped in Santa paper. There were a few of the new gifts in Laura’s and Bill’s piles and some in a third pile by the fireplace. Laura beamed at her daughter. “Kara?”

Kara shrugged. “I got into the spirit, I guess.”

Laura crouched down to hug her. “It’s wonderful.”

“Well, we’ll see. I’ve never done this before. Not sure I’m any good at it.”

Laura stroked her face. “If it’s from the heart, you can’t go wrong, honey.” She grinned. “And I’m dying to know who those are for,” she added, gesturing to the mystery pile. 

Kara smirked. “You’ll see.”

They sat like that for a few moments. It was the longest Kara had ever sat still to be held like that. There was a sleepy sweetness that she had never experienced with Kara before, and it, along with the Christmas spirit pervading their living room, added to the _warmth_ in her heart. 

///////////////////////////////////////////

The smell of the coffee brewing helped Bill perk up quite a bit. The sound of his girls talking in the living room made him smile. Laura was such a wonderful mother to Kara - and the rest of their kids - and he was so excited about the news, which still felt like news since only he and Kara knew about it - and Laura, of course. It had been delightful keeping the blissful news to themselves, basking in it, and Kara had impressed him by embracing the idea of having a sibling and by being Laura’s...friend and support system. They were inseparable, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The coffee finished brewing, so he poured it into three mugs and carried two of them into the living room. They were cuddling on the floor by the tree, and Kara looked so...content, so safe. He cleared his throat and they looked up at him. 

Kara grinned when she saw the coffee mugs in his hands. “I so need that right now, Old Man.” 

He handed them their mugs and retrieved his own. He joined them on the floor and sipped his coffee. “I vote for Kara to open hers first, starting with her stocking.”

Laura concurred, and Kara stood up and grabbed her stocking from where it was hanging in front of the fireplace. Then she returned to her spot. She started with the top: Hand Warmers and white gloves. She glanced at Laura, who shrugged. “I know Commander Adama is a real bear when it comes to drill--” He grunted at that. 

“I know that’s right,” Kara said, but she winked at him. 

She loved drill even more than he did, and she had quite a knack for it. After they returned to school in January, he was going to make her captain of the drill team, assuming she wanted it. 

“Commander Adama assured me,” Laura said, smiling over at Bill, “that these gloves are regulation for practice and meets.”

Kara thanked Laura and said they matched her uniform perfectly. Then she dug into her stocking again. She pulled out a scratch off. Laura grinned. “That was a tradition in my family. My father would buy them for us every Christmas and put them in our stocking, much to our mother’s chagrin, but it was fun, and sometimes one of us even won something.” 

////////////////////////////////////////////////

The stocking was stuffed with her favorite kinds of candy - dark chocolate covered coconut - mixed nuts, an umbrella, and gift cards to her favorite stores. It was...so much, and she hadn’t even gotten to her gift pile yet. 

Kara struggled with what to say, but Laura and Bill seemed to know anyway. Laura squeezed Kara’s shoulder. “Ready for your gifts now?”

Kara nodded. It was another taste of what her life would have been like if Laura had been her mother, of what her future sibling’s life would be like - having two parents who loved each other and their children. 

She crawled toward the pile under the tree and studied the packages: There were so many, and on the bottom was a giant dark blue box. She didn’t know what it was, but she was excited to find out. So, she picked up the first package. The wrapping was so...beautiful. The corners were perfectly even and folded so carefully. Her wrapped gifts were jagged in comparison. She just couldn’t get the edges to line up. Maybe if she had more practice. She tore at the wrapping, knowing no matter how gentle she was with the paper, it would be destroyed by the time she finished with it. Then she opened the box, and inside was a vintage leather flight jacket, just like she had wanted but hadn’t mentioned. On the left shoulder, there was a patch with her callsign: Starbuck. She glanced at Bill, and he pointed at Laura. 

Laura grinned. “The Commander said all aspiring pilots should have one.”

“It should keep you warm too,” Bill said. “Why don’t you try it on, Starbuck?”

She gave him a smart and sharp salute and stood up. She unzipped the jacket and put it on, one sleeve at a time. It fit perfectly, and Bill was right: it was very warm. 

Laura smiled. “You look very sharp. Like you belong in that jacket.” 

Laura pulled out her camera, and Kara knew enough to smile. After the flash, Laura looked at the picture, smiled, and said it was perfect. Kara took off her jacket, folded it with great care and placed it back in its box. Then she chose another package.

Every gift, whether it was from Bill or Laura, was carefully chosen with her in mind, and Kara loved her navy footlocker, which Bill said she could bring with her to basic - and then to wherever she was deployed. But her favorite gift was her flight jacket. 

She gave Bill and Laura a hug, and then she told them to open their gifts. 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The only way they could see each other’s reactions was to take turns, so that’s what they did. Bill gestured toward her pile. “Principal Roslin, do the honors.”

“Thank you, Commander.” 

She picked up the snowman wrapped tubular gift from the side of her pile, and opened it carefully. When she finished unwrapping, she unrolled the print and gasped when she saw it. She glanced at Kara, who shrugged. “I thought it would look nice in your office. Do you like it?”

Laura handed the print to Bill and pulled Kara in for a hug. “I love it, honey. Thank you.”

He glanced down at the picture: “Demeter Searching for Persephone.” It really was perfect for Laura - and Kara. Laura released Kara, and Laura and Bill rolled it up and returned it to its cardboard tube. Laura returned the tube to her pile.

The girls looked at him, expectantly. So he chose the snowman wrapped package on top. He opened it to see a figurine - Aurora, goddess of the dawn. Starbuck said, “I figured she’d look good on your ship.”

He pulled her in for a hug. “It’s perfect, Starbuck. I’ll put it on today.”

Laura and he took turns opening the rest of their gifts. They added several books to their shelf that morning including a few first editions of Chandler and Christie. They must have just missed each other coming in and out of their favorite book store throughout the season. 

After he opened his last gift, Laura turned to Kara. “So what’s with that other pile?”

Kara grinned. “Since the recipient won’t arrive for eight months or so, I guess you two can open them.”

Laura wiped her eyes. “Sorry, it’s the hormones.” She held Bill’s hand. “Ready for the baby’s first gifts?”

He wondered how Kara knew whether to get gifts for a boy or a girl, but if he knew Kara, she would have found a way around that problem. He and Laura crouched down in front of the pile. Laura grinned. “I think you should do the honors.”

He chose the top gift. It was...light and oddly shaped. He unwrapped it to reveal a miniature orange hat. Then he peered closer. _Syracuse_. Kara giggled from behind them. “My plan is to make the littlest Adama a fan from the womb.”

He chuckled as he rubbed Laura’s abdomen. “I don’t know, Starbuck. The baby feels like a St. John’s fan to me.”

Laura giggled. “If this kid is anything like me, it’ll decide what it likes without any influence.” Then she grabbed the hat from Bill. “But orange is a very vibrant color.”

There were a lot of orange and blue gifts: baby sized basketballs, a plush mascot, a baby hoodie, a blanket. There were also a few toys including a binky. It was such a loving gesture, and he promised himself he wouldn’t cry in front of Kara, but if he did, it would be okay, he knew. Laura had tears in her eyes, and she held Kara and kissed her forehead. Kara didn’t seem to quite know what to make of everything, but she seemed glad her offerings had gone over well. 

He opened his arms. “Come here, Starbuck.” 

She hugged him, and he kissed her forehead. “You know I’m going to get all the red and white stuff now, right?”

She laughed. “Bring it on, Old Man.”

Laura yawned behind them, and Bill turned to her. “Who’s ready for a nap?”

Laura nodded that she was, and they went to their rooms. Bill snuggled up behind Laura. 

“I think she liked everything, don’t you?” Laura asked.

He stroked her hair. “I know she did.”

“M’kay,” she said, her voice already heavy with sleep. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kara was in the living room playing with her new fighter pilot video game. The occasional sounds of the roaring engine and gunfire permeated the kitchen, capturing Bill’s attention. Laura straightened after putting the ham in the oven. “Why don’t you go play with her, honey?”

“I should help you.”

 _Should_ not _want_. She grinned at him. “I’ve got this. Go show her how it’s done, Commander.”

“You’re sure?”

She knew her expression was decidedly certain. “What do you think?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He kissed her and left the kitchen. She laughed. The dinner would mostly cook itself anyway. The ham was in the oven. The scalloped potatoes were ready to join it. She just needed to cook the green beans when it got closer to time. 

Satisfied she had everything under control for the time being, she picked up her new book and joined her family. It seemed like Kara was showing the Old Man what was what, but he was picking it up. In the meantime, he explained how real flying didn’t feel like that at all, which led to an in depth discussion of aerospace science, of which Laura was only able to pick up on a few phrases. She grinned into her book. Who said video games couldn’t be educational?

After shooting down Bill in a pretty fiery explosion, Kara glanced at Laura. “Wanna play?”

Laura shook her head. “I’m enjoying listening to you two. Thanks, though.” 

Later, the timer went off, and Laura returned to the kitchen. She put the potatoes in the oven and the pot of beans on the stove. 

The doorbell rang, and she heard Kara’s heavy footsteps going to answer it. Then the loud, excited voices of Zak, Sam, and Karl, with Kara’s ringing even louder, and then Bill’s husky one added to the mix. Laura went to join them, hugging each of them. 

Then she had Bill and Kara entertain them in the living room, while she went to finish dinner and set the table. 

The doorbell rang again. She heard Bill answer it to be met with Ellen’s excited screech and Saul’s jovial ‘Merry Christmas.’ Bill led their final guests into the living room, but Ellen said she needed to ‘help’ Laura, and then Laura was faced with Ellen Tigh scoping out her kitchen. 

“Laura, Merry Christmas!” Ellen threw her arms around Laura. “Isn’t this the best? Having the whole family together.”

“It is, it really is.” 

Ellen released Laura and kissed both of her cheeks. “Now, what can I do?”

Laura smiled. “We’re all set in here. I just finished the beans.” At Ellen’s slightly fallen face, Laura added, “But you could help me shuttle the food and dishes into the dining room.”

“Of course, yes.”

Laura told her what went where, and they had the table set and food served for their family. Ellen put two fingers into her mouth to whistle. “Come and get it, everyone.”

They all came running to the table. The boys all wanted to sit near Kara, so she sat near the middle, so they could sit at either side or across from her. Bill sat at one head of the table, with Laura next to him, and Saul sat at the other head, with Ellen to his right. 

Bill carved the honey glazed ham and had everyone pass their plates to him to serve the slices. Then they passed around the sides. “Isn’t this nice?” Ellen gushed again. “I was just sayin’ to Saul how lovely this is. Our first Christmas as a family.”

“It’s wonderful,” Bill said. 

Laura smiled across at Zak. “How was your Christmas morning?”

He shrugged. “Lee and I got up around ten. Mom wasn’t awake, so we kept quiet but opened our gifts.”

Laura nodded, not sure what to say. 

“When she woke up, we made her breakfast. Then Lee rushed off to a friend’s house - a girlfriend probably but he hasn’t said anything. And I got ready to come here.”

“We’re glad you’re here.” 

Bill nodded. “Yes, we are. And we have news for everyone.”

Ellen obviously heard that from across the the table because she immediately asked for clarification. “Oh, I know what it is, Laura how far along are you?”

Saul put his glass down and glared at Ellen. “Why’d you say that?”

“Because she’s pregnant. Obviously that’s the big news.”

“And you didn’t think she wanted to tell us herself?”

“It’s okay,” Laura broke in. “Yes, I am pregnant. I’m about a month along. We just found out this week.” She winked at Kara. “Starbuck has been very supportive.” She interlocked her fingers with Bill’s. Her smile taking over her face, with Bill’s matching hers. “And we’re very happy.”

Zak bolted out of his chair to hug Laura and then Bill. He said he was so happy he was going to be a big brother. And the rest of them offered congratulations, hugs, or comments about the Old Man’s virility. Those were courtesy of the Tighs. 

After that, everyone was focused on their food mostly, with the occasional small talk around the table. Kara and Sam talked about how his season was going with Syracuse. Zak and Bill talked about ROTC. There were a few other conversations happening around Laura, and she was able to pick up pieces of all of them. Bill rubbed her arm. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, just listening to everyone.”

Bill grinned. “I think they like the ham.”

She’d used some orange juice to make the glaze, and it had worked very well. She was pleased with how the beans had turned out, too. She had originally planned to do the green bean casserole but thought it would be too heavy with the potatoes, so she’d made fresh beans with almonds instead, and they were a clear hit. 

After dinner, Laura cut and served their apple pie, and Bill scooped some Rocky Road on each dish. The dessert went over especially well with the kids, but everyone enjoyed it. 

When the last of the pie was eaten, Laura and Kara cleared the table and went into the kitchen to clean up. “Having a good time, mom?” 

“Yeah, of course.”

“Even with that--”

Laura rolled her eyes. “I’m used to that by now. Trust me.”

They put everything in the dishwasher, filled it, and ran it. They took turns washing their hands and returned to the dining room. 

The Tighs got up from the table. “We should be going,” Saul said, and Ellen nodded. 

Bill stood up. “Merry Christmas to you both. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.”

“Oh, Bill, of course we’ll share the holiday with our family,” Ellen said, waving him off like he was silly. 

Saul and Ellen made the rounds of goodbyes and hugs. When Saul got to Laura he hugged her tight and said, “Sorry about earlier,” in her ear. 

She kissed his cheek. “No worries.”

Ellen hugged Laura next. “You’ll make a terrific mom. I mean, look at you, you already are.”

“Thanks, Ellen. Merry Christmas.”

Bill and Laura walked them to the front door, where they exchanged goodbyes once more. After the Tighs got into their car and backed down the driveway, Bill squeezed her shoulders. “She’s right about one thing, you will make a wonderful mother.” He kissed her hair. “I’m not sure I ever told you that.”

She covered his hand with hers. “Oh, Bill, I know your code. You don’t have to worry about what you say and don’t say. Not that I mind hearing those things occasionally.”

He chuckled. “Of course you have me all figured out.” 

“Mom, can we exchange gifts now?” Kara asked from the living room. 

Laura laughed. “Love how they ask me when you’re standing here too.”

He shrugged. “Lady’s in charge.”

They entered the living room hand-in-hand. “Who’s ready for presents?” Laura asked.

Bill and Laura played ‘Santa’s helpers’ as they handed a gift to each member of the Colonial Runners (former of otherwise). They’d give Billy his gift later in the week. They opened them simultaneously to discover matching blue and white hoodies with their team logo and mascot. 

Sam did a fist pump and grinned at Bill and Laura. “You know, as much as I love orange, these will always be my favorite colors.”

“I figured you all could use these this winter. It’s supposed to be a bad one,” Laura said. “And maybe when you’re wearing them during a workout, you’ll think of the Colonial Runners and all the fun times we’ve shared.”

That prompted the retelling of several of their most memorable stories, mostly by Kara, which caused Laura to laugh and her eyes to mist at the same time. 

Sam led the team in a cheer for their coaches and then he said, “I hate to leave, but I have practice early tomorrow.”

Bill nodded. “Of course.” 

Laura clapped his back. “I’m so glad you could make it tonight.”

He smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Kara walked Sam out, and Karl said he should get home to his family for dessert. He rubbed his stomach. “If I have any room left.”

“You’d better eat,” Laura said. “They worked very hard on that.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Karl saluted her. 

Karl joined Kara and Sam at the front door, where they said their goodbyes.

Zak grinned up at Bill and Laura. “I wanna stick around if it’s okay.”

“Of course. We’ll take you home as soon as you’re ready,” Laura said.

Bill went over to the tree and returned with two gifts. He handed them to Zak. “The top one’s yours, and the other one’s Lee’s, if you would give that to him. Tell him I wish him a Merry Christmas and would love to hear from him.”

Zak nodded. “Sure, dad. I just…”

“I know, son. Just give him the message. What he does is up to him. Always has been.”

“Maybe one day, dad.”

Bill and Laura sat next to him on the sofa. “That’s what I keep telling him,” Laura said.

“Must be true then, mom, cuz you’re crazy smart.”

“Yeah, and the littlest Adama is going to a genius or something,” Kara said, bursting into the room and squeezing onto the sofa next to Zak. “You guys up for another round?”

They started up the system and began their playful banter over who the ‘top gun’ was, which typically alternated between Bill and Kara, though Zak had a few good rounds too. 

Laura read her book, but she was mostly concentrating on them. She was getting tired, but she could stay awake with them. After all, she was off the next day and had nowhere to go. Plus, her devoted husband had promised breakfast in bed. She leaned against him, careful not to disturb the movement of his hands on the controller. 

“What are you thinking?” he asked between rounds, or levels, or whatever. 

“I’m just enjoying this.”

“Me too.”

///////////////////////////////////////////

Zak yawned, and Kara said she was bushed. Bill glanced down at his shoulder where Laura was resting her head. She was fast asleep. 

Kara stood up to stretch. When she noticed her mother was asleep, she said, “I can take Zak home, if you want.”

Bill nodded. “Yeah, that’s perfect Starbuck. Just...be careful. People are the worst drivers on Christmas.”

“We’ll be fine, Old Man. I learned from the best, remember?” 

He grinned. “I do.”

Zak hugged him carefully, so they wouldn’t disturb Laura, and then he kissed Laura on the cheek. “Love you, mom.”

Kara saluted Bill. “I’ll be back.”

When Bill heard the front door open and close, he moved slightly to get the right leverage, and then he maneuvered Laura, so he could carry her to their bedroom. He was as gentle as possible, but he must not have been gentle enough because she stirred. “I remember the last time you did this.” 

He smiled down at her. “I’ll do this as often as you want, honey.”

He kicked their bedroom door open and gently placed her on the bed. Then he climbed in behind her and pulled up their bedclothes. She slept heavily. The books said that was to be expected, and she had put so much into the holiday - for everyone. 

He listened to her steady breathing and gentle snores. Usually that lulled him to sleep, but he found sleep was elusive that night. So he lay there, listening. 

Then he heard the front door open and latch closed, as Kara locked it behind her. He fell asleep thinking how silly he was. Kara really had learned from the best.


	28. Stomach Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Kara are both sick, but Bill's there to care for them.

Title: Stomach Death  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~1000  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura and Kara are both sick, but Bill's there to care for them.  
A/N: Follows [Surprises](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/62194.html).  
A/N2: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"  
  


Laura woke up feeling awful.  Thinking it was morning sickness, she cursed the name Bill Adama.  She had been vomit free since 2003, and Bill Adama and their miracle destroyed that streak.

She was wrong, though.  Not about her pregnancy destroying her streak; that was very true.  But her current bout with stomach death was neither Bill’s nor their miracle’s fault.  She was sick.

Bill Adama woke up to his wife’s moaning coming from the master bathroom.  Whatever was happening in there was worse than usual.  Laura never moaned.  Bill quickly rose from the bed and charged the bathroom.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

“I usually feel better after, and I don’t.”

“How do you feel?”

“Achy everywhere.”

“Are you sure that’s not from the baby?”

“I don’t know. It feels different.”

Bill took his wife’s hand, helped her up, flushed the toilet, and led her to the sink.  It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he said his vows, but he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.  He helped her clean up, and felt her forehead.  She was burning up.

“Bill?”

“What, honey?”

“I just want to go back to bed.”

“That’s where we’re going.”

“But work—“

“We’re calling out.”

“But—“

“Romo’s got it, I’m sure.”

“What about—“

“Chief Tyrol can handle them.”

“Okay.”

Bill was worried about his wife.  She usually didn’t acquiesce that quickly, especially when it came to the school and their responsibilities.  But they both trusted Romo Lampkin as her vice principal, and Chief Tyrol was a wonderful NSI.  They could afford to miss a day, and there was no way Bill would let Laura leave their bed, and he wouldn’t leave her side.

Bill gently picked her up and carried her to their bed.  With some maneuvering, he got her under the covers, and wrapped himself around her to comfort her.  It was then that he heard moaning from inside the hall bathroom.

“Laura, honey?”

“Hmm?”  She was obviously close to falling back to sleep. Her voice was thick with sleep and illness.

“I think Kara’s sick too.”

“She doesn’t get sick.”

“Neither do you.”

“Right.”

“I’ll be right back, baby.  I gotta check on her.”

“I’ll just sleep some.”

Bill kissed her forehead and left their bed.  If Kara and Laura were both sick, then it meant they had the flu or something, and it had nothing to do with Laura’s pregnancy.  That made Bill feel better, but he was still worried about his girls.  He stopped outside the bathroom door and knocked; he’d never lived with a teenage girl before, so he had to consider her privacy—even if Starbuck didn’t always.

“Kara?” he called as he knocked.

“I’m okay.”

Bill knew that wasn’t true, but he heard the toilet flush, and the faucet running.  Starbuck would be coming out soon, and he’d figure out what to do.

When she opened the door, Bill took one look at her face, and knew it was serious.  His daughter didn’t look like herself at all.  She looked weak, like she could barely stand.

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed; Mom’s sick too.”

“Hell freezing over?”

“Seems it.”

“What about school?”

“We’re not going.”

“Letting Chief and Lampkin run the asylum, huh?”

“They’ll be fine.”

“What about Billy?”

“Shit.  I forgot about him.  I can’t take him; I won’t leave you two.  Um—“

“Sam can take him.”

“Great idea.  I’ll call him and Billy.”

Bill got his daughter into bed, kissed her forehead, and went back to check on Laura.  His wife was asleep and snoring softly.  She never believed him when he said she snored, but she did, and he loved the sound of it.  There were many nights when he fell asleep listening to it.  She seemed fine for the time being.

Bill called Romo and Tyrol to let them know what was happening.  They both sent their regards to Laura.  Bill and Laura weren’t sure how they felt about Lampkin at first, but compared to Zarek, Adar, and Baltar he was a stand-up guy, and he was good at his job, so they grew to trust him in the previous months.  Tyrol was a fine NSI; the cadets listened to him and respected him.  The young man had made it to the rank of Chief, which very few enlisted men did, so he was clearly qualified and dedicated.  Bill and Laura had both grown close to Galen in the months since they hired him.

After making those phone calls, he called Sam.  Sam was immediately concerned about Laura and Kara.  Bill couldn’t tell which one he was more concerned about,  and that warmed his heart.  Sam was a fine young man:  He was a good athlete, reasonably intelligent, and good to the women in his life.  If he were to court Kara, Bill would support him 100%.  But so far, it seemed like they were content with just being friends, and that was fine.  Sam quickly agreed to take Billy to school and back home:  His own college was close by, and he’d do anything for the Adamas, especially Laura.

After that call, Bill talked to Billy.  The young man was clearly concerned about his surrogate mother, but he also asked how Bill was holding up.  Bill assured him they were all fine.  The young man was grateful that Sam would get him to school and back home.  Before hanging up, he wished everyone well.

Bill shook his head with pride at his family.  Then he went to check on his girls.

——————————————————

After a few hours of alternating between caring for his wife and his daughter, Bill realized it would be much easier to have them in the same bed.  So he helped Kara into bed beside Laura, and she immediately snuggled up to her mother.  Within moments, they were both asleep, and Bill sat in the arm chair beside them.

————————————————

When Laura and Kara woke up from their nap, they both felt much better, but they were still very achy.  Bill went to get them ice chips.

“How’d you get so lucky, Mom?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean with Dad.”

“Oh, that’s easy.  I never settled for less than the best.”

“And then you found him.”

“I did.”

Outside the door, Bill stood smiling:  Starbuck had called him ‘Dad.’ Then he entered the bedroom:  His girls needed him, and he needed them.  
  
[The next installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/182946.html)  
  


  
  



	29. Ceremonial Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first end-of-year NJROTC ceremony and the beginning of several changes for the Adama family...

Title: Ceremonial Reunion  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~1700  
Pairing: A/R  
Disclaimer: Don't own them.  
Summary: It's the first end-of-year NJROTC ceremony and the beginning of several changes for the Adama family...  
A/N: Thanks to [](http://lanalucy.livejournal.com/profile)[**lanalucy**](http://lanalucy.livejournal.com/) for the beta. *hugs*  
A/N2: This is part of an open 'verse, which begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

Laura sat next to Vice Principal Romo Lampkin in the front row of the auditorium. Billy and Sam sat on her other side. It was the first Awards Ceremony for the school’s NJROTC program. Bill was standing at the podium, looking very spiffy in his Dress Whites. He was the MC, getting over his apparent fear of public speaking, (a major inconsistency in his character that she found completely adorable) addressing the successes throughout the unit’s first year. Laura knew there were many, as she and Bill had spent hours poring over the program, getting the funding and grants approved, forming a student recruitment policy that suited Laura’s sensitivities to the impressionable youths in her school as well as Bill’s needs.

They gelled well together: Bill didn’t glorify war or the military life, but he’d explained it was a possible career path for those who were suited for it. He swore never to make promises of future success in any of the armed forces nor to invite recruiters into his classroom. Laura was grateful the cadets had him for a role model.

Zak, Felix, Kara, Karl, and Felix’s friend Louis had been among the first to sign up, and they’d quickly risen to command staff, along with Kendra Shaw and Anastasia Dualla. Kara had become the company commander, the highest ranking officer in the unit. It was a move that had surprised many of her former teachers but a wise choice that Laura and Bill each supported 100%.

When he’d been mulling over the candidates for the position, Kara and Felix had been on the short list. Bill had sat awake for hours trying to decide.

_“What do you think, honey?” Bill asked finally, when he joined her in their bed._

_“Hmm. Felix is a fine cadet. He knows all the rules and regs. Follows commands perfectly, but I’m not sure he has that leadership quality.”_

_“And Kara?”_

_“Kara’s Kara. She’ll mess up because she’s a risk-taker. The other cadets will follow her, but they won’t do it blindly. And it’ll give her an opportunity to grow.”_

_He kissed Laura’s hairline. She hummed in pleasure at the contact. “I think you’re right. She’ll thrive in the position.”_

_“And she’ll have us to turn to if she needs it.” She pulled him against her. “When’s the promotion?”_

_“I’ll do it tomorrow.”_

_“I’d like to be there.”_

_“Of course, Principal Roslin. I’ll send the memo first thing.”_

_“Thank you, Commander Adama.”_

They were right. Kara had thrived in her role, and Bill wrote her a glowing recommendation letter, as did Laura for the NROTC scholarship. They were hopeful, but if it didn’t pan out, she could still attend school and enroll in the program. Her inheritance from Socrata would fund a lot of her education, and Bill and Laura had already decided to help her where they could. Giving her a home was certainly a start, and they were thrilled to have her around.

Laura felt a kick. Judy had been doing that much more of late. Judy kicked and moved so much and so hard that those around Laura noticed. Dr. Cottle said it was the baby’s way of announcing its presence. _I know you’re here, sweetie, and I can’t wait to meet you._ She hadn’t known she wanted children until she met Bill Adama, and then she’d been worried it was too late. The discovery that it wasn’t too late had been as welcome a surprise as it was shocking--and was often uncomfortable.

She didn’t fit into her suits anymore, but the maternity pants and blouses worked well enough. The faculty and staff were supportive, as were the students. That probably had to do with the many regime changes that had gone on since she’d taken over as Principal. Compared to Richard Adar and the former Vice Principal Thomas Zarek, Laura knew she was a popular choice, except among Zarek’s supporters, but his supporters had become quiet after she asked him to take over the philosophy classes. There would be little trouble from his corner anymore, Dr. Baltar was happy to stick with physics - he’d even been appreciative when she’d taken the other classes away from him, spreading them to the new faculty members she’d hired.

Anyway, no one seemed to mind she was walking around with a basketball sized stomach. Of course, that invited the legions of people who insisted on feeling her stomach. It was a reality she knew enough to accept, having watched Sandra deal with the same phenomenon. Still, she was over it, longing for the days when her pregnancy was in the past tense, when she could go back to being Laura. There would be fewer people to annoy her soon, as there were only a few more weeks of school. Then she’d spend her summer preparing for their new arrival, and she’d have maternity leave in the fall.

Romo was spending more time with her, learning her job, so he could take over during her leave. He was a quiet man and a bit strange, but he was sharp and honest. He was someone she felt she could trust with the school, and he had already been a godsend during the early days of her pregnancy.

Bill was concluding his speech. She knew it by heart, he’d rehearsed it so many times in the last few days. “And without further ado, I present the original Colonial High School NJROTC cadets.”

That meant it was time for the awards. Everyone would receive the Longevity ribbon for completing a year. She had glanced at the awards’ list, though, and it was very impressive. Several of her Colonial Runners were up for academic and leadership awards, as were some of the other promising cadets--the future leaders of the unit.

Laura, Sam, Billy, and Romo, as well as the rest of the audience, clapped respectfully as the cadets were called to the podium to receive their awards. She listened intently as each name was called. Then there was a rustling in the aisle, so she turned to the sound. It was a young man with blue eyes. Bill’s blue eyes. She’d seen the picture Bill kept in his wallet enough times to identify the newcomer. It was her stepson Lee. She smiled at him, not at all sure how it would go over, but his presence alone gave her hope. “Lee.”

He nodded. “I’m here to support my brother Zak.”

“Of course you are. Come, have a seat.”

Without anyone asking, Romo vacated his seat, taking the one next to him. She thought he muttered a ‘good luck,’ but she couldn’t be sure. Lee maneuvered around Laura’s long legs and protruding stomach to get to his seat.

She offered her hand for him to shake once he was seated. “I’m Laura Roslin-Adama. I’ve heard so much about you, Lee.”

He nodded and accepted her hand, shaking it. “Likewise, ma’am. Zak won’t shut up about you.” There was no malice in his tone as he said it. Whatever Bill thought about his oldest son, the young man clearly loved his brother. He gestured to her stomach. “I guess that’s my younger...”

“Sister. Judy.” She smiled. “After my mother.”

“I, um, always wanted a little sister.”

“I’m glad. She could use a pair of brothers.” She giggled. “If she’s anything like I was, she’ll be a handful. But she’s been blessed with a large extended family.”

He cleared his throat. “Is there, um, any room for me in it?”

She reached across the chair to place her hand on her stepson’s arm. “Always. Whatever you need, we’re here.”

“Just like that?”

She nodded. “Your father taught me that.”

“My father. I don’t...we have...it’s complicated.”

She hummed. “Always is in families. Let me give you a hint - don’t make it over-complicated. Just give the Old Man a hug, and the rest will work itself out.”

“Thanks...um, what should I call you?”

“Laura’s fine for now.”

“You’d let me call you ‘mom’?”

She nodded. “If you’re comfortable with it, sure. Kara and Zak do.”

“Kara?”

“My, uh, daughter, essentially. Your father and I took her in.”

He nodded. “I’m beginning to see what you mean about this family. It’s...nice.”

She beamed at him. “You have no idea, Lee.”

///////////////////////////////////////////////

In the end, her oldest stepson took her advice. After the ceremony, he gave his brother a congratulatory hug, and then he slowly approached his father. “Dad.”

Bill gave a small smile. “Son.”

Then Lee tentatively put his arms around his father, and Bill pulled him in even tighter, giving him a bear hug.

Seeing they were working things out, Laura turned to her Colonial Runners. Kara held up her Top Gun trophy, before throwing her arms around Laura, holding the trophy loosely against Laura’s back. “Did you know about this, mom?”

“Of course. Where do you think he got the eligibility information?”

“Is it wrong I’m more excited about this than my graduation?”

Laura shook her head. “This is more of a family, isn’t it? I’ll still be proud to hand you your diploma, honey.”

Kara nodded. “Is that Lee with Dad?”

“It is.” Laura smiled. “A very nice surprise too.”

Kara shrugged. “Just as long as I don’t have to share my room.”

Laura just laughed. Bursting with love--and probably hormones.

They stood there for a moment, but then Kara supported Laura’s back, as they walked off the stage and sat down in the front row. Laura squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Thanks for that.”

Kara nodded. “I figured you’d be getting achy.”

“Yeah, all the time now.”

“The Old Man better take care of you tonight, then.”

“Starbuck!”

Kara shrugged. “Just sayin’. I meant a backrub, anyway.”

Laura laughed. “I think I’ll be well cared for, thank you.”

Kara snorted and Laura squeezed her hand tighter. Together they watched the three Adama men talking on the stage near the podium. It was difficult to tell there had ever been a rift between Lee and Bill. Judy kicked again. If their family kept expanding, Kara might need to share her room.

[Next Installment](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/23889.html) by the lovely [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/)

[The first Installment of the Ikeaverse!Puppy](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/120121.html)


	30.  The Ikeaverse!Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura decides a new baby isn't enough excitement for the Adamas...

Yeah, this is happening now...  
Title:  The Ikeaverse!Puppy  
Rating: K+  
Word Count: 750  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Laura decides a new baby isn't enough excitement for the Adamas...  
A/N: Part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."

  


Bill answered his cell phone after the second vibration cycle.  It was the middle of his night class, which meant it was an emergency.  Laura would never interrupt his learning, otherwise.  Luckily he had scored some points with his professor, early on in the semester.  Helena Cain was definitely a hard ass, but she wasn’t completely unreasonable.  She knew his wife had just had their baby not long ago, and they were both very nervous parents.  He’d disclosed that on the first night. So when his phone went off, he discreetly signaled to Professor Cain, and she waved him off, not without a disgusted look, but he’d pay the price for that later.

“Laura?”

“I think I made a mistake.”

He could have sworn he heard a dog barking in the background.  “What’s wrong?  Is Judy okay?”

“Oh, Judy’s fine.  She’s with Kara and Sam at home.”

He sighed in relief, but then he remembered Laura should be home with them.  “And where are you?  And is that a dog barking?”

He could hear her sigh in the phone. “Yes.  Remember what we talked about?”

He did remember.  He also remembered they decided it wasn’t a good idea.  “So you bought one?”

“Oh, Bill.  You should have seen him.  He was so cute, I just had to have him.”

He sighed.  She’d gone behind his back and got a dog.  They didn’t have a dog friendly lifestyle, and with Judy, it just wasn’t a good idea, but the deed was done, they’d have to live with it.  “Get home safely, Laura.  I’ll be there soon.”

“Are you mad?”

“A little, yes.”

“I think you’ll like him.  He’s got a set of lungs on him, but he’s a sweet little guy.”

The dog didn’t seem to be barking as much anymore.  Maybe he’d calm down.  “I’m sure I’ll grow to love him.” 

“Get back to class, Commander.  Did Cain give you a hard time?”

That was right, he forgot about her.  “No.  It’s fine.  Cain and I have an understanding.”

“Oh, okay.  Good luck with that.”

“See you soon.  I love you.”

“Even though I broke my word.”

“Yeah, always.”

He hung up, smiling.  Maybe a dog wouldn’t be so bad.

——————————————————————————

Laura had the dog—the puppy—a miniature dachshund she fell for immediately, in the back seat of her Sunfire.  Actually, he was in a crate on the seat because the breeder said he should be crate trained.  The puppy—she really needed to think of a name for it, thinking of it as “Puppy” wasn’t distinctive enough—didn’t like the crate.  Not one bit.  He made his opinion known loud and clear.

She’d had the animal for five minutes, and she could already tell he was as stubborn as she—and Bill—quite possibly the two of them combined.  And he wouldn’t. Stop. Barking. 

In a moment of panic, Laura pulled over.  She called Bill.  It didn’t matter that he was in class.  It was an emergency. 

Talking to Bill calmed her down—even if she did know he was more than a little pissed with her.  They’d fight it out later, and then make up.  They were good at both; although, they didn’t fight much.  They had discussions.

Of course, she’d gone against their decision, acting on her own, and bought a dog she knew they’d have a difficult time caring for.  But she took one look into those brown eyes that seemed much too big for his head, and she knew he was an Adama. 

Laura put her phone away.  Bill still loved her—not that she had any doubt of that—and he seemed perceptive to the idea of having another family member. 

She had an idea about the dog too.  She might regret it, but she’d let the dog sit with her.  Maybe that would calm him down some.  She got out of the car. 

The dog barked even more, clearly worried he was going to be abandoned.  But then she opened the back door, and crawled in so she could open the crate, and pulled him out of it.  He stopped barking.  Panting, whimpering, and wagging his tail instead.  His tail was so long it could wrap around his body.  The breeder promised he’d grow into it in a month or so.  He was so small he could fit in her palm. 

She closed the back door, and got back in the driver’s seat.  The puppy sat in her lap, falling asleep almost immediately, as she started the engine again and headed home.  
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/152559.html)


	31. Battle for the Pillow

When Bill got home that night, he went straight into the living room. Work and school wore him out. Professor Cain was tough but fair. At least he thought so. He couldn’t say the same for the younger students who’d been woefully unprepared. What did they expect? It was a course in military history. He shook his head. Laura prepared him for this. She told him there would be an age difference, and the young students would likely care less than he. Although he did meet a few bright ones who seemed out of place among the rest of them. 

Bill was focused, though. One of the conditions of his command of ROTC was the completion of his degree (and a demonstration of a substantial effort in doing so). With a family to help support—Laura brought in more than half their income— which seemed to be growing constantly, he knew he needed to do it. Also, it was something he’d always wanted for himself. He smiled. Laura would have been willing to take on all of the financial responsibilities while he went to school. What had he done to deserve such a woman for a wife?

He found her in the arm chair, holding Judy. Their daughter was asleep. He leaned down, softly kissing her forehead. Then he kissed his wife. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself. How was class?”

He shrugged. “Not bad. She’s a hardass, but I think she likes me.”

“Only a few more weeks.”

“Yeah, and then I start over with a new one.”

She smiled. “Unless you find one you like enough to take again.”

He looked around. Geddy was asleep on his stack of pillows on the couch. The puppy had the life of a king. 

It was also very quiet in the cabin. “Where’s Starbuck?”

She snorted. “Where do you think?”

He smiled. _Sam._ “He’s a good kid.”

She nodded. “They both are.”

Bill approached the adjacent couch. It was brown leather and very comfortable. They both fell in love with it when they found it. It also matched Geddy’s fur; although, he’d come much later. The puppy did look good on it.   
He was a handsome dog with his red harness. They had a difficult time finding a harness that was small enough to fit the tiny miniature dachshund, but they managed. He’d grown a lot in the last several weeks, but he was still tiny. Laura said he’d reach his full size in a few more weeks. She’d done her research, putting nearly as much effort into learning about puppy care as she had into learning caring for an infant—and every other thing she did.   
Bill lay down on the couch.

“Bill, you’re gonna fall asleep there and throw our whole night off.”

“I won’t fall asleep. I just wanna rest a bit. Talk to you. And you’re holding Judy. It’s not like we’re going anywhere.”

Laura hummed. Their sleep schedule had become sporadic of late. There were nights when they fell asleep in the living room. It was just easier that way sometimes. Placing Judy in her crib often woke her up. Then no one could sleep. Laura said it was normal. Bill didn’t remember or experience enough of the boys’ infancy to argue. It was new for both of them, but they were doing it together—and they had help.

Kara, Zak, Billy, Sam, and Karl were all wonderful with her. Even the Tighs could be counted on to babysit, occasionally. Of course, Laura had put her foot down about Ellen ever being alone with their daughter, which Bill had to agree was a bad idea.

As soon as Bill got on the couch, Geddy woke up. He abandoned his pillow stack and moved to Bill’s abdomen. The puppy loved to sleep on Bill’s stomach. Bill stroked Geddy’s head. They’d gotten to a rocky start, but he really did love the dog, and Geddy was learning to behave better all the time.

 _Geddy_. He never thought he’d have a dog named Geddy. He never thought he’d have a dog. Or another wife. Or a daughter—and he had two. He did alright. He smiled. His life really began after retirement. 

He was just beginning to doze when Geddy leaped off of his lap, which hurt every fucking time. Geddy ran to the door, then the window. Barking at something. It was almost as bad as when he’d seen the _60 Minutes_ segment on polar bears: Bill’s ears still rang from that. 

Geddy was temperamental, but his bark was much worse than his bite—not that his bite was anything to sneeze at. 

Bill sat up and glanced at Judy. She was still sleeping soundly. Thank God. He looked at Laura. She was fighting a smile. He had to grin too. Their lives were certainly interesting. 

“I’m gonna try my luck putting her to bed.” She gestured to the dog, who was still barking. 

“You’ll get him?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll grab his leash. We’ll put some of that energy to use.”

He took the baby, as Laura got up. He was afraid the transfer would wake her up, but it didn’t. When she was standing, Laura took Judith back and kissed Bill. “I’ll be back soon.”

He smiled. “Me too.” He glanced over at Geddy. “I hope.”

“Show him who’s boss, Bill.”

She headed to their bedroom, and he went to the door, grabbing the leash off of the hook on the door. “Come on, Geddy. You wanna know what’s out there, let’s go.”

He hooked the leash onto the harness, and opened the door. Geddy led him to the corner of the yard closest to the cabin and took care of his business. “That’s what you wanted, huh? It’s hard to tell with you barking at everything.”

Geddy just looked at him. He got what he wanted. Then he led them back up the front steps like he was in a hurry to get inside. He didn’t like the dark or the cold. Or the rain or snow. Or wind. Motorcycles and trucks terrified him, but he could handle thunderstorms okay. He didn’t like it when the oven was on. Or the griddle pan. Bill shook his head. His dog was a wuss. But he was cute and sweet (most of the time), and he loved Laura as much as Bill did. 

Bill opened the door for them, and Geddy ran right to the bedroom to find Laura. He could hear her cooing over him like he was their baby instead of Judy. Seriously, their daughter was less maintenance. 

He dropped back down on the couch. His eyes closed instantly.

Then he heard mewling near his head. He turned to see Geddy. Laura was back in her chair. “I knew you’d fall asleep there.”

“You know me too well, honey.” He looked down at Geddy. “And what do you want?”

Geddy looked like he wanted to get on the couch but couldn’t. 

“What’s wrong, boy? You can’t jump up here?”

The dog could jump perfectly fine any other time. Maybe he was tired. Bill reached down to grab him, but Geddy backed away. 

“Do you want to get up here, or not?”

Geddy mewled again. Bill got off the couch, determined to pick him up. Geddy ran past him and jumped on the couch, laying on the pillow where Bill’s head previously was. 

Bill shook his head, trying to figure out how he’d been outsmarted by a puppy. He caught Laura’s glance. She giggled. Bill saw the humor in the situation, but he wasn’t going to lose his spot. It was time Geddy learned who the alpha was.

He moved to scoop up the dog. Geddy growled. Bill didn’t stop, though. Neither did Geddy. 

The next thing Bill knew, Laura was standing next to him. “Geddy! You don’t growl at Daddy.”

Geddy’s ears lowered, and he licked Bill’s fingers. Bill scooped him up, and reclaimed his spot, letting the dog lay on his chest.

“See, Bill, you just gotta let him know who’s boss.”

Bill looked at his wife. “Oh, I think he knows, honey.”


	32. A "Day" at the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Adamas hit the beach. (See title)

Title: A "Day" at the Beach  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~1,000  
Summary: The Adamas hit the beach. (See title)  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
A/N: Written for [](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/profile)[**afrakaday**](http://afrakaday.livejournal.com/) just because.  
A/N2:Part of an ongoing 'verse that begins with "[Normaling.](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)"

“Laura!”

She peeked out of their bedroom. “Yeah, honey?”

“Are you ready yet?”

“In a minute.”

“It’ll be the afternoon by the time we get there.”

She smiled at him. It disarmed him completely. “That’s better for Judy, anyway, you know.”

He nodded. “She takes after her mother.”

She rolled her eyes. “And her father too. She’s itching to leave too. Squirming in her cradle.”

He smiled. “Geddy’s rearing up to go too.”

The dog was yipping, pacing between the bedroom and the hall like he knew something was happening but not his role in it. Bill bent down to pick him up. Geddy leaped into his arms, glad to be held—always. “Easy, buddy. You’re coming too.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Bill?”

“A little too late to ask that, isn’t it?”

It was an old joke between them. She’d gotten the dachshund against his better judgement—and without doing much research into the breed. He worried about it at first, but Geddy had a way of getting under his skin. He fell for the dog much sooner than he wanted to admit, but there was no keeping anything from Laura. She had a special gift with the Adamas.

She rolled her eyes. “I mean the beach, smart ass. Is he allowed to come?”

“I think the better question is can we handle both of them.”

She smirked. “Four of them, honey. The kids are coming too.”

She meant Kara and Sam. They’d been inseparable for months. “Just the two?”

“Billy is tutoring Zak and Karl.” She hummed. “Then they’re working out.”

Billy’d come such a long way. “They’re good kids.”

“I have a feeling they’ll be ours for a long time.”

It was the best he could have ever hoped for. “I hope so.”

She smiled, and then she switched to her Principal Face. “Now, would you help me get the bags?”

“Bags?”

She looked over at Judy in her cradle then back at the bundle of fur in his arms. “They both need food and blankets.”

“And this requires multiple bags?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be obtuse.”

————————————————

They got the bags in the car. Laura held Geddy, as Bill buckled Judy in the carseat. Sam and Kara had arrived just in time. They took their seats on either side of the littlest Adama. Bill watched as the teens each took one of her hands and held them. Kara and Sam had been wonderful with her, babysitting anytime they needed.

He caught Laura’s eye. “What?” she asked.

“My family.”

She smiled. “Let’s go, Adama. I think I remember you barking about the sun disappearing before we got there.”

“I don’t bark. That thing in your arms does.”

But he opened the driver’s door and got in, opening the passenger door for his wife. She got in, holding Geddy on her lap.

“You know you baby him more than our baby.”

“Judy’s not as loud as he is.”

“You’ve got that right.”

He started the car and backed down the driveway.

———————————————————

An hour later, they were there. Or at least they were in the proximity of the beach. Finding a parking space was quite the mission. They finally ended up with one that wasn’t too far away from the boardwalk.

Kara and Sam each carried a bag. They’d packed light—not at all. “We’ll find the best place,” Kara assured them.

Laura nodded. “Let’s go under the boardwalk. It’s best for Judy.”

Kara smirked. Bill gave her the Adama Glare although he found it amusing. Only Laura could make sitting under the boardwalk so…straight-laced. Kara straightened out, and she and Sam took off.

Laura handed Geddy to Bill, who put him on his leash. They’d replaced the red one with a blue one after he chewed through the red one. He looked handsome in blue.

Laura held Judy. They’d decided to forgo the stroller for this outing, as it wouldn’t survive so well in the sand, and there were enough hands to hold her at all times. She glanced over at him around their daughter’s head. “Ready, soldier?”

“For you, always.”

They walked side by side watching Geddy move this way and that way. Zigging and zagging as he smelled each new scent.

“Do you think he likes it?” Laura asked.

He shrugged. “He’s awfully whinny.”

“So what else is new.”

“Is that a negative statement about our dog?”

“He takes after his father. So neurotic.”

He’d get her back for that later. For now, he was enjoying the sun and warmth that came with taking his family to the beach.

———————————————————

The trip didn’t last long.

Geddy walked on the sand a few steps before crying. Then sneezing. Bill picked him up. Laura moved closer to them. “Oh, baby. What’s the matter?”

“I don’t think he could walk in it too good.”

“Oh, dear.”

They spotted Kara and Sam under the fishing pier, quickening their pace to get to them. When they arrived they saw the kids had already laid out their blanket. Laura sat on it, balancing Judy in her lap as she wrapped the baby blanket around her tighter. It was windy on the sand and chilly under the pier.

Bill sat next to her, holding the dog. They were close to the water, and Geddy’s ears perked up as the waves crashed against the sand. He started barking. It was a good thing they were still on the offseason, or they could be in some trouble. Even so, the other patrons were giving them looks.

In the end, it was Laura’s shivering that sent them home.

Bill heard her shiver. “You cold, Laura?”

She shrugged. “A little.”

He moved closer and tried to maneuver so he could hold the dog and wrap his arms around his wife, all without disturbing the finicky puppy or the sleeping baby. It didn’t work. Meanwhile, Kara and Sam complained they were cold too.

Bill caught his wife’s eyes. “Time to go.”

She smiled. “Right behind you, Adama.”

————————————————

The trip didn’t last long, but it was enough to knock out all the passenger sans Laura. He held her hand. “That was fun.”

She snorted. “We were there under thirty minutes.”

“And every one of them was precious.”

She squeezed his hand. “Let’s get home. I’d like to make other precious memories.”

He put a little more pressure on the gas.  
  
[Next Installment](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/154652.html)


	33. Mother's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Kara team up to give Laura the best Mother's Day ever.

Title: Mother's Day  
Rating: T  
Word Count: ~700  
Disclaimer: don't own them.  
Summary: Bill and Kara team up to give Laura the best Mother's Day ever.  
A/N: Happy Mother's Day everyone.  
A/N 2: This is part of an open 'verse that begins with "[Normaling](http://newnumbertwo.livejournal.com/9865.html)."

Bill kissed Laura’s hairline and pulled himself out of bed. Immediately, Geddy took the opportunity to snuggle closer to his mommy. Bill shook his head, still not thrilled about the dog sharing their bed, something even their infant daughter had never done.

He walked to the bassinet, reached in and picked up Judy, rocking her gently, as she started to stir. “Shhh, Pumpkin. Let’s make Mommy breakfast.”

He carried her to the kitchen and set her in the swing near the eating area. Judy loved her swing. There were many mornings when she’d fall asleep to its easy rhythm. Other mornings she was alert, watching her family as they went about their routine.

There was always someone in their family with her. Bill was adamant about that.

_“There’s enough of us, Laura. We can make sure she’s always with family. People who love her.”_

_“And what if we’re all busy?”_

_He smiled. “Then one of us will have to call in a favor.”_

As it turned out, Sam and Billy were her most frequent “babysitters.” As their class schedules were different enough for them to alternate. Uncle Saul and Aunt Ellen, although Laura resisted the idea, (and Bill agreed) had also been willing babysitters.

The pair was surprisingly great with the littlest Adama, and there was always a slight look of sadness in Ellen’s eyes when she returned Judy to Laura’s arms. Saul didn’t talk much about “those things,” but Bill understood anyway.

Satisfied his daughter was secure in her swing, he went to the pantry. From behind him he heard footsteps, too loud and clunky to be Laura’s. “Good morning, Starbuck,” he said, without turning around.

“You had the same idea, I see.”

He turned to face her. “Oh yeah? What’s your idea?”

“I was gonna make her toast.”

He nodded. A culinary expert their daughter was not, but Laura had taught him, and maybe he could teach Starbuck. “How’s M&M pancakes sound?”

She raised an eyebrow. “M&Ms?”

“It’s kind of a thing between us.”

She smirked. “Okay, let’s do it.”

He showed her how to pour the batter into the pan, adding the M&Ms. When the first one was ready to flip, he said, “Now here’s the tricky part. Watch me.”

Of course, that was the time he fouled it up.

“Watch that?”

He shook his head and tried again. That time he got it perfectly. “Your turn, Starbuck.”

She followed each step exactly, adding her own flair, of course, and made a pancake that looked better than his. He smiled. “You think you can do the rest?”

She nodded, and he continued watching as she made enough pancakes for all of them. “Sam and I thought we’d take Judy and Geddy, so you two can spend the day together. If that’s cool, I mean.”

Bill hugged her tight. “You two are the best, you know that?” He kissed her forehead, as she nodded in the affirmative. She was Starbuck through and through, and he loved her for it. “Let’s go bring these to your mother.”

Starbuck carried the breakfast tray, and Bill carried Judy. They entered the master bedroom to face a smiling Laura, sitting up in the bed and stroking Geddy’s fur. “Is that for me?”

Starbuck nodded. “Happy Mother’s Day.”

She brought the tray over to the bed, and Laura took it placing it on her lap. Geddy immediately approached the tray, but Laura stared him down. One thing she was adamant about, was that he only eat dog food. That didn’t stop him from begging, but after the initial stare down, he lay back down.

Bill lay Judy down in the bassinet, and then he approached the bed, kissing her forehead. “Happy Mother’s Day, honey.”

Laura smiled. The syrup and chocolate surrounding her mouth a bit. “I love you guys.”

Starbuck squeezed Laura’s shoulder. “We love you.”

Bill leaned down so he could talk in his wife’s ear, “And we have a plan.”

Laura giggled after she swallowed her last bite. “Will I like it?”

Bill kissed her ear. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  



	34. An Adama Emergency

“Bill!” 

That pitch meant trouble. He rushed in the direction of Laura’s voice, shutting the front door behind him. His dreams of a restful evening fading by the second. He found her in their bedroom on the floor. “What’s wrong?”

She looked...like she was barely holding it together. “It’s Geddy. He’s...squealing. Yelping. I don’t...look at his tail.”

He knelt down next to her. Geddy’s tail was tucked down against his rear, as though he were trying to protect himself. He reached out to touch the dog. “What’s wrong, bud?”

Geddy yelped. Possibly in response, as he frequently interacted with his family when they spoke to him. It was at an octave Bill had never heard before. He rubbed Laura’s back. “We gotta take him in, honey.”

She sighed. “I know.”

Judy burst into the room. “Why are you on the floor?” 

Her green eyes moved between her father and her mother. Geddy yelped again, and Judy’s eyes widened. “Geddy’s sick, sweetie,” Laura said. “So we have to take him to the vet.” 

Judy nodded, but her eyes were thoughtful. “He won’t die, will he? I love him.” 

She sat on the floor in front of Geddy and started petting him. Laura stroked Judy’s auburn hair. “He’ll get better if we take him, okay?”

Judy sniffled in the affirmative.

Bill rose from the floor and picked his daughter up, ignoring his back’s cracking. “Come on, pumpkin. You gotta get to bed. It’s a school night.” 

She rested her head against his shoulder. “You sure he won’t die?”

 _No, but I’m not ready for that. We’re not ready._ “I’m sure, baby.”

He carried her into her pink and chocolate brown bedroom and placed her in the bed, tucking her in under the pink comforter. He kissed her forehead and exited the room, pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

“Lee? Thanks for answering, son.”

“What’s wrong, Dad? You never call this late.”

“It’s Geddy. He’s...sick or something. Laura and I gotta take him in - could you watch Judy while we’re gone?”

“You know I never miss a chance to see my sister. I’ll be right over.” 

“Thanks, son.”

He ended the call and returned to their bedroom. Laura looked up at him. “Lee?”

Bill nodded. “He’ll come.”

She held her hand out to him, and he helped her up. She picked up Geddy, gently making sure she supported his back. He was shivering out of pain...or fear. 

He gathered a blanket, ensured his had his wallet and cell phone and went out to start the car. 

Lee pulled into the driveway next to the Phoenix - the red Subaru Forester they’d bought after the Galactica had finally conked out in their driveway. Lee gave Bill a quick hug and hurried inside the house, Bill following him in. 

Laura was standing in the foyer, holding Geddy like he were an infant. She gave Lee a small smile. “Thanks for coming. How’ve you been?”

Lee leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I’m great, Mom. Thanks.” He pet Geddy’s head. “Sorry, buddy. You’ll be okay.” He looked back at Laura. “The munchkin’s in bed?”

“Yeah. She should be easy to watch,” Bill said. “We should get going. Thanks again, son.”

Bill and Laura left. Geddy’s shivering increased like he knew where they were going. They loaded into the Phoenix.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They were driving home. The visit had gone as well as possible: Geddy wasn’t sick. He didn’t eat anything that he shouldn’t have, as Bill had feared. Instead Geddy’s back was twisted, as the doctor had put it. They had gotten lucky because it wasn’t a surgical case, but that meant major changes and preventative measures. 

Bill glanced at Geddy, who was sleeping in Laura’s lap. Then he met her eyes before refocusing on the road. “Cage rest. Do you think we can get him to stay in there?”

“He won’t have a choice. He may not like it, but it has to happen.” 

Bill groaned. “We’ll need reinforcements.”

She smiled. “Oh, yeah.” She pet Geddy. “He’ll be okay.”

////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kara knelt in front of the cage, which was on the living room floor. She looked up at Laura on the couch. “Can’t believe you got him in here.”

Laura hmmed. “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“How long?”

“A few weeks.”

Kara groaned. “It’s gonna be noisy in here.” 

Laura nodded. “We’ll just have to deal with it.”

Kara moved to the couch. “Hell of a way to spend my leave.”

Laura stroked Kara’s hair. It was down for a change. “Sorry, honey. I’m glad you’re home, though.”

“Me too, Mom.”

“I gotta go. You’ll be okay?”

Kara gave her trademark Starbuck grin. “I think I’ve got this.”

“Great.”

Laura got off the sofa, kissed Kara’s forehead before going to the crate. She put her fingers through the bars and stroked Geddy’s head. Then she grabbed her bag off the dining room table and headed off to work. Geddy would be fine, but the jumping and roughhousing would have to stop.


End file.
